AoS: The Sword and the Sorcerer
by Janusi
Summary: The Scoobies have become stronger. However, the forces opposing them are growing too. Through it all, a sword seeks a bearer and a Mayor is looking for a solution to his Aesir problem.
1. Chapter 1

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I had already posted the beginning of this story elsewhere, but I'd neglected to do so here. Time to rectify that. I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for his hard work, and Dusel for his contribution._

**Home**

**Sunnydale, Giles' Apartment**

'There's no place like home,' Buffy thought with some sarcasm as the emanations from the Hellmouth started to grate at her senses. Apparently, after being away from it for over a month, her senses had to get used to its energy again.

Looking down and to the right she saw the high school itself, but that wasn't her destination as she flew on through the night sky. 'It looks so beautiful,' went through her as she passed Main Street on her way to Giles. Buffy had given though to going straight home, for all of one second. Then she had chickened-out, afraid of no longer being welcome.

So now she was going to Giles first and ask him how everybody was. 'It's a little weird how easy I can find my way from way up here. I mean, sure, I've seen maps of the town but shouldn't real life look different than a map? Even from a hundred yards high?'

Spotting what Buffy thought was Giles' apartment, the blond came to a halt but did not start her descent. Only after she'd scrutinized the surrounding buildings and streets to make sure nobody would spot her coming down did she make her way back to the ground. She also didn't land right in front of his door, but an alleyway next to his building.

Readjusting the weight of her bag slung across her left shoulder, Buffy made her way to her Watcher's apartment where she softly rapped on the door before waiting. Only then did she think of something. 'Wait, what if he isn't home? He could be out patrolling, or at the library...'

The light coming on above her combined with the faint sounds of activity from inside the apartment put her worries to rest. It wasn't much more than a minute later that Buffy came face-to-face with another person for the first time in almost two months.

It was weird, really weird. 'But it's a good kind of weird,' Buffy resolved as a happy smile split her face. Her Watcher meanwhile looked first surprised, than relieved at her. "Hey, Giles."

"Buffy!" he said as he actually laid a hand on her shoulder. Giles looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end he settled for, "It's good to see you again. You look well." He took a moment to look her over, then waved her in.

As Buffy stepped over the threshold she saw Miss Calendar coming down the stairs. She'd already known there had been two people inside, she'd heard as much. Still, the fact she was wearing a bathrobe made it clear what the teacher was doing at her Watcher's place or had been doing. "Hey Miss Calendar, I, errr, hope I didn't wake you up."

She carefully didn't express her amusement as Miss Calendar went from embarrassed to pretending there was nothing awkward about the whole situation. "Not at all. I'm glad you're back in time for school, you passed by the way."

"Good," Buffy responded as she sat down her bag. Looking at the couch, the blond was reluctant to sit down. Her clothes weren't exactly clean and what they would do the furniture...

"Do sit down Buffy," Giles interrupted her thoughts. "I imagine the walk back to Sunnydale must have been tiresome," he finished as he sat down himself while Miss Calendar took a seat on the armrest of his chair.

"You sure? The desert doesn't have Laundromats you know."

That got her a smile from the two adults and a firm assurance from Giles. Shrugging, Buffy took a seat. "And I'm not that tired really, flying is a lot easier than walking."

"You can fly?" Miss Calendar asked.

The blond Aesir felt another grin coming on as she recalled her flight to Sunnydale. "Yep, or I would have been home more than a week ago. But let me tell you, it was worth every frustrating, hot, dusty, smelly day out there. I just... I got no words to describe what it's like floating way up in the air and to look down and see... everything." Buffy shook her head.

"I can imagine," her teacher murmured.

"So you had a good time out in the desert?" Giles inquired.

"Hell no," Buffy snorted. "But it was necessary and I got something good out of it so..." she shrugged.

"Ah, I see. Well, then, ehm, how did you find your mother?"

Buffy frowned at that then widened as panic gripped. "What do you mean? Did she move? Doesn't she want me to come home?"

Giles hurriedly allayed her fears. "No, no, I wanted to know how your reunion with your mother went. From your reaction, however, I surmise you haven't seen her yet."

"No," Buffy started before looking down, "I haven't seen her yet." She looked back up again and saw a look of understanding in Giles' eyes. "I was sort of hoping you could tell me how she's been about the whole Aesir-thing."

"Of course, you already know she and I had to go straight to the police station as soon as we arrived at your home?" Seeing Buffy nod, he continued. "Good, well, I believe I should start with that then. You may be relieved to know the police will not be pressing any charges for assaulting that officer."

Giles eyed her and apparently her embarrassment was sufficient because he moved on. "It appears that their haste to withdraw from the case as soon as your mother mentioned her kidnappers' appearance convinced her that the police would not be a help dealing with the supernatural. She still had some very sharp questions for me the day after but I think I managed to answer them to her satisfaction."

"I can't comment on how happy she is with the situation, but I think she's accepting enough of what we've all become," he stressed, "that it is safe for you to go home. Happiness at your return will outweigh any uncomfortable feelings regarding your status as an Aesir. At least for the time being."

Buffy breathed easier at hearing that. As long as Mom still wanted to see her it meant things could be talked out and that was the most important thing. "What about Willow? She got pretty badly hurt during the fight. I know Xander healed her," she rushed to add. "But it took a lot out of her, she was still pretty weak when she and Xander brought my camping stuff."

"She's fine. Willow exhibited none of that unsteadiness the day after, it seems she only needed a few hours sleep and some breakfast. As for her summer, I've been teaching her seidr." Giles must have misunderstood her confusion because he clarified, "It's the magic system that uses runes, you may recall I used it to help those ghosts a few months ago."

"Oh, I know what it is," Buffy said unhappily. "I had another encounter with it out in the desert. Got a souvenir and everything as a proof." With those words she yanked down her top just enough to reveal Fragarach's hilt.

Stunned silence greeted her action. Finally, Giles managed to ask. "Is-is that a tattoo?"

"How did you get one out in the desert?" Miss Calendar asked interested. "It looks very well done, by the way."

"Why did you get it?" Giles asked before Buffy even had a chance to answer his first question.

"It wasn't my choice," she bit out. "I just got zapped to some cave where there was another item like Mjöllnir and there was this demon guarding it so Mjöllnir was adamant it couldn't stay there. I was dumb enough to listen so I killed the demon and was going to just grab it when there was a flash and next thing I know I'm sporting body art. Giles, Mom might be hunky dory with me being an Aesir now but I'll be grounded for life the minute she sees this." And there she ran out of steam.

The flood of words left Giles blinking as he processed the information. "Ah, yes, that is a more likely explanation then some form of teenage rebellion." Seeing Buffy's expression at that, he hurried along. "Right, yes, uhm, you wouldn't happen to know its name?"

"Mjöllnir called it Fragarach. Apparently it's decided to follow me around until it finds someone to wield it and this is the only way it knows how. Giles, it can't stay! I need you to find a way to get it off. Before Mom finds out!"

But Giles' mind seemed to have latched on to something else. "Fragarach you say? That's not a Norse name, but it does sound familiar... Yes, I've heard the name before but that sword was from Irish mythology." Her Watcher went quiet then and Buffy recognized his look. He was talking with Gungnir now, probably getting the lowdown on the sword.

_"Which will include what I've already told you,"_ the war hammer butted in. _"The sword can't be removed against its will."_

'A girl can dream,' Buffy thought back. 'But I'm starting to think you're right. And that's a scary thought.'

Mjöllnir's affronted _"Hey!"_ lifted her spirits enough that she didn't want to dwell on the whole Fragarach issue any longer.

"So, you've been teaching Willow magic. How's she doing with that?"

"I, uhm," Giles began embarrassed. "I, don't exactly know. Her artifact has been actually doing most of the tutoring, I've been more of an assistant to it really. Not an easy thing when you can't actually communicate with each other but we've managed."

Buffy nodded. "Right, guess I'll just have to ask Willow directly. And how has Xander held up? What, with Cordelia gone and Willow studying he must have been pretty bored," the blond clarified.

"Actually, Xander's had quite the eventful summer. He's found the hide-out of Loki's Children and he's living there now."

"What?! What happened to his parents? And why didn't you let him live here instead of some cave or rundown warehouse?"

"Actually, it's a mansion," Giles corrected her. "And he moved out of his parent's home on his birthday." He must have seen Buffy's discomfort at missing her friends' eighteenth birthdays because he gently added, "You couldn't be there; we all understood that. I'm sure we'll have better luck next year."

"Yeah, next year," Buffy muttered. Shaking off her regret at missing their anniversary again, Buffy posed the question that first came to mind when she heard of Xander's new living arrangements. "The bad guys were living in a mansion?"

"An abandoned one," Giles affirmed. "They'd also left some supplies behind and that's how Xander managed to afford it. He said it was a steal." Her Watcher shook her head. "I personally don't see why he went for a dwelling as big as that, he's still busy effecting repairs, but he seems to be very happy with the arrangements so I've kept my peace on the matter."

The blond Aesir nodded along. "Well, if I want to know how things are with Oz I should really be asking Willow and I can see Miss Calendar is doing fine." Buffy couldn't stop a teasing smile from making its appearance.

"Ah, ehm, yes, well..." Giles spluttered as Miss Calendar blushed again.

"Giles, relax, I'm happy to see you both happy, together," the blond finished making a vague gesture encompassing the two adults. "Angel still hasn't come home, has he?" she suddenly asked.

It earned her an understanding look from Giles. "No, Buffy. I'm afraid we haven't heard from him. But I'm sure he's fine."

Buffy nodded at that, but couldn't help but feel a little worried. Soon it would be almost a year, a whole year. "Now," Buffy started as she got up, "I better get going before very late becomes really early."

Giles got up as well. "Are you sure? You can spend the night here and face your mother in the morning if you think that will help make the process go smoother."

Buffy smiled at the concerned thought, but her answer was a firm no. "To be honest, I really want to soak in the bath for a few hours so I'm hurrying for a selfish reason to. I'll swing by the library tomorrow to tell you all about that cave and the demon," she promised hefting her bag back on her shoulder.

With a quick wave and a hearty "Goodbye" to the both of them, Buffy went to the door. But Giles followed her seemingly uncomfortable about something.

"Buffy," he began, "there is another matter you're not aware of. I... I'm sorry but Kendra is dead."

The blond Aesir blinked. "What?"

"Sam called me with the news a day or two after you left," Giles explained in a gentle voice. "She actually died before we became aware of Loki's Children. He, the poor man was devastated of course. It took him a while before he was collected enough to inform me of what had happened."

Her mouth opened and closed, but she didn't know what to say. What she should say. So she settled for "How?"

"It looks to be vampires, and Sam Zabuto thinks it was Spike and Drusilla but there's only rumor that they were on the island at the time."

"But I thought you'd warned them, after they skipped town?"

Giles nodded. "I did, and we stayed in touch after but Kendra couldn't stop patrolling and... It might have been some other vampire who got... lucky." He shook his head. "I'm sorry to lay this news on you like this but I honestly couldn't come up with a better way or time to do so. How, uhm, are you feeling, I mean..."

"I'm..." Buffy interrupted haltingly trying to help her Watcher out. "I don't think I'm feeling as much grief as I should. I mean, she was, I knew her, Giles. But a lot of what I'm feeling is just shock and knowing she's gone. She was a friend and... I'm feeling nothing." That wasn't right, Kendra deserved more.

"That doesn't make you a bad person, Buffy," Giles assured her. "I'm sure it simply hasn't sunken in yet that Kendra is... gone."

Buffy was unsure if he was right, but she nodded along anyway. "Yeah, that's probably it." Silence descended as she tried to find something else to talk about. Something less painful. "Uhhh, so, who's the new Slayer?"

Giles' expression went from sad to cold. "I don't know."

"Huh?"

"The Council hasn't even informed me yet of Kendra's demise. If it weren't for Sam, I would not even know Kendra is dead. I have done some enquiries since but all I've gotten is vague promises that they'll get back to me."

"Oh, well..." And there she trailed off because she didn't really have anything to add. It was strange, and on second thought, insulting. A young girl had just died for them, and they couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge that fact while they sat around in merry-old England drinking tea or whatever. 'It doesn't feel right.'

But telling her Watcher that might not be smart either. They were still his bosses and honestly, Buffy just wanted to go home and wash all the real world troubles away. Even if that only lasted until tomorrow morning. She looked around and found only darkened windows and a deserted courtyard.

"I should go now, I don't want to wake my Mom in the middle of the night. I'll see you tomorrow." And with those words she took to the skies. Her mind already firmly home, floating in hot, soapy water.

**Revello Drive 1630**

Curled up in the bed, the next book on the book club's list on her lap, Joyce still found her thoughts drifting away

from what she was reading. She found herself doing that more often now as time went on and she still had heard nothing of Buffy.

'She's been gone for more than a month now, and even her friends don't know where she is. Anything could have happened and...' Not wanting to finish that, Joyce wrenched her thoughts away from that topic. Oh, how it pained her to find out how little of her daughter's life she'd actually been involved in.

Finding out that Buffy's friends and her high school librarian knew her better than her own mother had thrown Joyce for a loop. An angry, panicky loop that had only gotten worse when she'd described her kidnappers to the police and had found herself walked out of the station with indecent haste right after. Their assurances that they would get to the bottom of it all would have rung hollow even if she hadn't know those kidnappers had already been... dealt with.

The confrontation the day after with Mister Giles had not started well, and Joyce had to admit that it was all her. But finding out that they too were superheroes, that her daughter wasn't alone, that had given her pause. Over the weeks, her anger had faded. Her worry, however, had risen just as fast. Worry for now, worry for later.

Her eyes returned to the book. Joyce was still trying to find where exactly she was on the page when the doorbell rung. Cautiously she made her way down the stairs, Mr. Giles had clearly explained the dangers of Sunnydale, and it was dark outside.

All of that was forgotten as she spotted a flash of blond through the glass of the door. Yanking the door open, her heart leapt into her throat as Buffy gave her a sheepish wave. "Hey, Mom," she greeted with a soft voice.

Even as she bridged the distance between them, a part of her made note of all the little changes. The deepened tan of her skin, the fact that her hair was flowing free, and the inch in height Buffy had gained. And then her arms wrapped around her daughter and that little part of her mind became aware that Buffy had gained some muscle on her desert-trip.

But most of her was too busy being happy to pay attention to all that. Joyce tried to say something, welcome her home, to say how glad she was Buffy was whole and safe. But the words wouldn't come. So instead she tightened her hug to try and express it that way.

Buffy's answering hug was just as firm, but she had no problem speaking. "I'm home."

Joyce only answer was a sniff and an upwelling of tears. She was making such a scene, but she couldn't bring herself to care. 'Buffy is home!'

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	2. Chapter 2

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**Explanations**

**Revello Drive 1630**

The sun felt a lot gentler in the back garden, even though it was still early Buffy was sure she could feel the difference. Her body flowed into the forms of Slyppr without conscious thought, the power within in her following the movements just as easily.

It all left her mind free to ponder things like that. But the distraction didn't hold up long before her mind found its way back to the subject of Kendra. 'I still can't believe she's dead. I mean, I know she is. Giles wouldn't joke about something like that, but...'

_"In your memory, she is still that stiff young girl that helped you rescue your boyfriend and left Sunnydale alive,"_ Mjöllnir supplied.

Buffy mulled that over for a moment before replying. 'Yes, that's exactly it. And now there is this new Slayer out there and I got no idea what she's like. Does she even know who Kendra was? Is she anything like her?'

_"Do you know who came before you?"_

That question gave her pause, so much so that she briefly hesitated before completing the exercise. Only after she'd gotten her power back into its source did she answer. 'Actually, no. I never even asked,' Buffy admitted sheepishly. 'And maybe I should... Giles should know, he's got those diaries.'

Nodding to herself, the blond resolved to do just that when she saw her Watcher again. Taking a deep breath, she summoned that crackling energy again and let it flow through her body. Unlike in the desert, she didn't even hop to get some momentum, she just willed herself to lift up.

It wasn't easy, and by the time her feet left the ground she'd started to sweat. Still, she was defying gravity right now and without Mjöllnir's help. Hovering a foot above the ground, Buffy stopped trying to go higher and instead focused on just staying aloft.

She even dared to open her eyes again, which she had closed in concentration earlier. It was then that she noticed, "Mom!"

Startled, Buffy let go of her power in a reflex to hide her abilities. It wasn't until she was falling that she remembered there was no need. Her mother already knew. The blond managed to land on her feet but did wobble for a few moments as she fought to keep her balance.

"Uh, hey, good morning."

Mom had taken a step closer when she saw Buffy fall, but now she stopped as Buffy had landed on her feet. "Good morning," she retorted. "Isn't it a little early? I was sure you would still be in bed. You seemed eager enough to stay in it last night," Joyce teased.

"Yeah, uhm." Buffy scratched her head sheepishly. "Sorry about not talking about... stuff last night. I was just tired and I felt real icky so..." and she shrugged as she didn't know what else to say.

"I figured it was something like that and it's alright honey. I was just glad you were home again. And that you looked fine. Now, I'm going to make pancakes so why don't you come inside. I'm sure you're starving." Her mother waited until she nodded happily before turning towards the house and going inside.

Buffy followed and made a straight line for the refrigerator as the smell of melting butter filled the kitchen. "So, I saw you, uh, floating?"

Buffy bit her lip and didn't answer right away, instead she concentrated on pouring a glass of OJ. 'Is she, is she hinting that I shouldn't be training in the backyard? Is she worried the neighbors find out what a freak her daughter is?'

i"Or maybe she's being a bit clumsy in her attempts to show interest in you."/i

'Oh... Yeah, that could be it too.'

"Uh, yeah," Buffy answered out loud. "I can't do much more than that on my own though. I still need Mjöllnir to really fly."

Joyce took her eyes off her cooking to give her daughter a surprised stare. "You can fly?"

Feeling a little unsure, Buffy just nodded. "Huh, and I suppose you have super strength too. That would explain why all the jars are so tightly screwed on," Joyce mused.

"I can control that fine," Buffy defended. "I only broke a... well, a couple of doors and some alarm clocks. But most of that was right after I became an Aesir. I just got surprised by how much stronger I'd gotten."

Smiling ruefully, her Mom returned her attention to the stove and flipped the pancake. "Uhm, Mom," Buffy started slowly. "I know I was kind of... I'm sorry I didn't really try to talk about everything last night, it's just..."

Her mother interrupted. "Buffy, it's alright. You just spent more than a month in the desert. God knows I would be desperate for a hot bath and a soft bed after that much time doing without." She turned around and slid the pancake on Buffy's plate. "Although I was sure you'd be starving too, and that's not the case."

With those words she turned around again and put some batter in the pan, missing Buffy's shrug. "Mjöllnir helped me figure out what I could eat and how to prepare it all. I ate a lot more meat than usual though, and freaky meat too. Mostly lizards and snakes," Buffy finished putting syrup on her pancake and dug in.

"Oh, uh, how does, uhm, lizard-meat taste?"

"Not as bad as you'd think, but you're pancakes got everything I made beat cold." The kitchen got quiet, only the sound of the skillet sliding against the pan as Joyce flipped a pancake broke the silence. "So..." Buffy began, "are you okay with all this? With the whole, me not being human anymore?"

Her Mom didn't answer, seemingly absorbed by the random pattern of the pancake in front of her. "Mom?" the blond prodded.

"I'm sorry Buffy, I just don't really know how to answer that." She looked over her shoulder to meet her daughter's eyes. "Because honestly, I can't be happy that you're a, a, a superhero now!"

Buffy recoiled from hearing that and she must have looked stricken because her Mom turned around and quickly explained why. "And it's not because of what you are," she assured the blond before sliding a pancake on Buffy's now empty plate. "I'm your mother and that means I worry about you. Knowing that you go out there every night to fight monsters only adds to that."

She held up her skillet to forestall any argument from Buffy. "And I'm not asking you to stop doing that, because I already know you'll just do it behind my back like before. And knowing you care like that..." Her eyes glistened with tears as she shot Buffy a dazzling smile. "It just makes me so proud of you." The smile dimmed. "And nauseous with worry. But I don't want to be shut out of your live anymore. I want to be there for you."

Now it was Buffy's turn to blink back tears. Working past the lump in her throat, Buffy croaked out her thanks. Then, not really knowing what more to say, Buffy started eating again and her mother went back to cooking. Her eyes kept returning to her Mom's back and her words.

"Uhm, Mom," Buffy spoke up. "I, there's a few things you should know about Angel."

"Like how he's not your history tutor?"

"Yeah, uhm, like that. You see, the reason he had to go to Asia wasn't his study. And also... he isn't exactly, you know, human."

"What?!"

**Willow's Home**

"Coming!" Willow yawned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It was only half past eight on a Saturday morning and she'd planned on another solid hour of sleep. But whoever was ranging the bell had dashed those plans leaving the redhead with just a hint of irritation.

Especially since she was sure it wasn't anybody she knew. Xander would still be asleep too, Giles would call, and things had been quiet anyway while her parents had left yesterday for yet another conference. They wouldn't be back for another week. This meant that whoever was at the door had to be a total stranger.

"Okay, what's the emergen-" Willow cut off as Buffy smiled apologetically at her. "Buffy!" One moment she was still staring at her best friend, the next she was hugging her for all she was worth. "You're back, and you're fine, how long have you been home? Why haven't you call-" Pressing her lips firmly together, Willow stopped her babble firmly in its tracks and let go of the blond.

"Hey, Willow. I got back last night and I thought you'd want to know I was back from me in person so... here I am." She threw her arms wide.

"And here you are," Willow agreed. "Uh, right, why don't you come in and we can talk. Have you seen anybody yet? I mean, apart from your Mom obviously."

"Actually, I went to see Giles first, last night."

Willow gave Buffy a startled look as she sat down on the couch, her legs snugly tugged underneath her. "You did?"

The blond nodded as she too took a seat. "I wanted to know how my Mom was handling everything, like, what kind of welcome I could expect."

"But it was a good welcome, right? I mean, I haven't talked to your mother much since everything, but Giles and Xander have and they thought they'd explained everything."

"They did and they have," the blond agreed. "Mom's totally cool with me being an Aesir now. Well, not totally cool. She's worried I could get hurt and she prefers to call me a superhero," she amended. "But there's worse things to be called."

Willow made a sound of agreement. "But we are superheroes, aren't we? I mean, we got superpowers and in the comics some of the superheroes are gods. They even got a Thor!"

Her best friend shot her a bemused smile. "I suppose. But enough about me, let's talk about you. Giles said you were learning magic. So, how's that going? Turned anybody into a frog yet?"

Willow quickly shook her head. Even becoming an Aesir hadn't cured her of her frog fear. "Noooo, uh, how much did Giles tell you?"

She really wanted to know how much Giles had told, because there had been some incidents with that. Siffy had started her training, but she'd been a little too slow for the redhead's taste. So she'd convinced Giles to share some of what he'd learned.

But he too had stuck to the easy stuff so Willow had felt she'd had no other option than to experiment. Siffy had stayed quiet the whole time so Willow had figured she didn't disapprove, even when she'd accidentally killed some plants... and her bedspread... and that blouse she'd liked so much, not to mention...

i"As I explained to you then, my problem wasn't with making mistakes, it was with your refusal to learn from them. That series of disasters should have thought you to go back to the basics to see what you'd missed."/i

'And I didn't, I know, I know. You were right about taking my time to learn this, it's just that I won't have much time for this once school starts and I'm sure the Hellmouth will start to throw trouble our way too. I just want to learn,' she thought wistfully.

_"I understand, but using seidr requires more than technical knowledge. You need to know when to use it, and when not to. In other words, you need to acquire some wisdom."_

'Well, I think this fiasco thought me some, wouldn't you say?' And it had, she'd even taken a week off from studying and just had fun.

"...and he told me way more about what's happened with you than Xander. I think he's trying to spring some surprise on me," Buffy finished.

"Uh," Willow said as she furiously went over her memories to find out what Buffy had just said. No, apparently Giles hadn't said much except that Siffy had done most of the- "You got a tattoo?!" she exclaimed.

That earned her a reproachful look from Buffy. "Weren't you listening? I found this sword in the desert and it decided to hitch a ride."

"Oh, right, yeah, sorry, I was just talking with Siffy and when I remembered I kind of started talking before I recalled everything. So, could I see?" And it would explain why Buffy was wearing that T-shirt.

Sighing, Buffy obliged pulling the collar down so Willow could see down to the hilt of the sword drawn on her skin. "Well, it actually looks pretty interesting," Willow commented. Then froze as she realized what she'd just said.

Buffy was blushing too as she let go of the shirt and looked away. "Yeah, well, I've got no intention of showing it off to everybody so that means half my wardrobe just became a no-go until it's gone."

"I can see why," Willow agreed.

_"Tell her about you trying to run before you'd learned how to walk,"_ Siffy prompted.

'Are you sure? Because I am totally okay with not telling. And what if she hates me when I tell her, when I tell her that...'

_"Exactly, which is why you should. Consider it part of your punishment if you want, consider it another lesson, but you need to be open about your mistakes. To your friends and yourself anyway."_

She could see the point, so after taking a deep breath Willow plunged ahead. "Uh, well, you know about me learning about magic but Giles left a few things out. I kind of, I did a stupid thing," Willow admitted as she curled up a little more on the couch. "I started playing with seidr, I wasn't ready, and I just didn't see the problem - I mean, I thought I was ready but I wasn't and I couldn't see that," Willow babbled.

"Willow," Buffy cut in, "breath." Seeing her friend do so, she went on. "Now, tell me what went wrong."

"Oh, oh, I was playing around with the runes and I accidentally summoned something... I had to fight it and we wrecked several tombstones. It wasn't my first... accident, but after that one Sif set me straight. So many people could have gotten hurt if that thing had gotten away." Tears started to leak and Willow's voice hitched. "I just didn't think things through and I feel so stupid. I'm supposed to be smart!"

With those words, she ducked her head down and hugged her knees. Buffy's hand landed lightly on her shoulder but Willow didn't look up. "Willow, even smart people are allowed to make mistakes." Hearing that, the redhead looked up to meet Buffy's gaze. "What you aren't allowed, however," Buffy went on with a mock-stern voice, "is not learn from them."

"I've learned my lesson," the redhead assured her friend in a small voice. "I'm even spending more time with Oz. I kinda neglected him a bit before," she admitted.

"Right, how is Oz? Looking forward to college?"

"Actually, he's pretty busy finishing summer school."

"Huh?"

Willow's snort of amusement got a little messy on account of her earlier crying. "He didn't graduate on account of not having done all the exams. And then I found out he was planning on not going to summer school either!"

"Isn't he supposed to be really smart?" Buffy wondered.

"Exactly," Willow responded as she got more animated. "And he is. But I had to point out that repeating a year would be even more of a waste of time he could be devoting to his music or anything more worthwhile really! He even thought I would find it cute!"

"Guys," Buffy summed up with a grin.

"Yeah, guys, with their weird guy ways. Anyway, he saw logic and now he's almost done but I don't think he's going to college. But that's alright," Willow assured the blond. "I know he love's music and if he wants to focus on that after he graduates than I'll be 100 percent behind him on that."

"After he graduates," Buffy repeated and Willow gave her a firm nod. "Okay then. That just leaves Xander and the mystery of where he's living now. Giles didn't give me the address."

"Yeah, I can. I've been there a few times and you really should see what he's done with the place."

**6 Crawford Street**

'Giles said it was a mansion, but somehow I hadn't really believed he meant a real, honest to God mansion. How the heck did Xander afford this?' She would have thought she'd mixed up the address somehow if not for her clear memory of Willow telling her what the address was. And this was it.

The place had something of a castley look, except it was obviously modern too. 'Or maybe its a bit more like a cathedral,' she mused as she looked up at the big windows. Walking up the stairs, Buffy was confronted by a double-door set in some very sturdy looking walls. It only reinforced the impression of a fortified building Buffy had gotten even if the doors themselves looked new and a bit flimsy.

Hearing the sound of hammering coming from inside, Buffy made sure to knock extra-loud. And she must have gotten heard right away, 'cause whoever was using a hammer stopped.

***

Xander took another zip from his water bottle as Buffy wrapped up her story on her first day back in Sunnydale. They were both sitting on the old second-hand couch he'd scrounged up, which like the rest of the furniture, didn't really fit with the house. They were facing the small garden with the big fireplace on their right and the entrance hall to their left, the smell of jasmine doing its best to cover the scent of sawdust and mold.

"So it's going to be a while before I can fly without Mjöllnir, but I don't care. Just being able to is... I can't really describe it, Xan. It's like you're free, free of everything." Buffy got quiet, her gaze upon the small garden. Then she turned her gaze back to him. "But I've talked enough. Now I finally want to know why you bought this place. Not to mention how!"

Xander smiled. "Has Mjöllnir already told you the Children got this nifty habit of hiding away supplies and info any time they get to some new place? Before they try to do whatever they came to do."

"He has. It's supposed to be insurance in case things go wrong. That way their successors don't start from scratch."

"Exactly," he said as he leaned forward. "After your mom described where they'd held her I got an idea of where she was. When I found those smashed in doors, I was sure. Of course, finding their stash helped too. They had just about everything on us, Buffy. They knew where we lived, our class schedule, where we patrolled. Everything."

"And I get wanting to keep that away from the bad guys. And I know that those supplies usually are money 'cause it doesn't spoil like food and the like. What I don't get is how you could use that bit of cash to buy this place. Mjöllnir has been scratching his head too, he's never heard of a case where they had millions stashed away."

Now Xander grinned, because Mjöllnir was absolutely right. "Oh, this place didn't cost as much as you think it did," he stalled. "Nobody's been living here for twenty years and the last owner died years ago. The town took it over after that to keep it from turning into a total ruin. They were just glad someone was finally going to do the maintenance this place needed."

Buffy wasn't fooled though. "Xander, we're still talking about a lot of money. So how did you manage to turn a few thousand into this." And she waved her hands around to indicate his place.

His answer was to dig out the one coin he kept with him and tossing it to Buffy. "What the? Is that gold?" she asked.

"Yep, a twenty dollar coin. They had a small bag of those mixed in with silver dollars hidden away underneath the fireplace. And all of them are at least a century old."

Buffy didn't take her eyes of the coin. "Are you seriously telling me the bad guys were running a century behind?"

Xander shrugged. "Don't know about that. But whoever is in charge of handing out the money sure is. The whole bag is worth millions, the one you're holding right now might be worth a million on its own. I'm not sure, though, because I've kept most of them and only sold enough to afford this place and a few other things. After all, they don't belong to just me. You, Willow and Giles fought those Children too so you all own a part of the booty too."

That caught Buffy's attention. "What?" she looked up at him, then down at the coin again. "I- are you sure? I mean, I'm still living with Mom so I don't really need it. Not like you do."

"I'm fine," he assured her. "But I do have some ideas for it. I already talked it through with Giles and Willow and they've helped me flesh them out. This place is actually part of those plans."

"Xander, quit trying to mysterious and just tell me," Buffy told him exasperated as she gave back the coin.

"I will, I will," he assured her with a mischievous grin as he slipped the coin back in his pocket. "You're looking at the future corporate headquarters of 'Aesir Solutions'," he declared waving his right arm expansively. "I thought of the name myself."

Buffy just blinked. "Huh?"

Getting a bit more serious himself, Xander got up and started pacing. "After Giles told us the Watchers wouldn't help us any longer if they found out you weren't a Slayer anymore, I started thinking. I mean, it's only a matter of time before they find out. The fact none of us age like a human should is going to make sure of that. And that means, we'll be on our own one of these days."

"Okay," the blond said slowly. "I'm following you so far, but... I don't really see the problem. I mean, they aren't really doing anything anyway. We got Giles and his books, not to mention Willow."

Xander nodded along. "And Willow's great, but most of the time we still get our info out of the books. Books paid for by the Council so I'm thinking they'll probably consider them their property. But what about after we graduate?"

"That, uh, I hadn't thought about that." She winched. "We couldn't really go to the library after we've graduated. People would totally notice that and Snyder would just kick us out or call the police. And I don't think Giles has enough room at home for all those books."

"Exactly. And that's just the immediate problem. When the Council finds out, well, they'll want their books back not to mention their Watcher. I don't think he'll leave," he added quickly, "but that'll get him fired and then what?"

"Okay, my mood is now officially spoiled." Xander opened his mouth to apologize but was stopped from doing so by Buffy. "And that's alright, these are things I need to worry about too. Still, how do you go from Giles getting fired to starting up your own company?"

He shrugged. "If we want to replace the support, we need an organization and a way to pay for it. A business seemed the best way to do that and there's more than enough room here for a library and training rooms."

"A company also makes money, how are we going to do that? Because so far, Loki's Kids are the only ones that had any money."

"Not true, we also got something off of stopping Spike."

"We did?"

He grinned. "Yeah, Du Lac's cross had quite a bit of gold on it." Xander didn't mention he'd forgotten about it too until Fel reminded him of it at the start of the summer. He'd had to ask Willow and Giles to find out what happened to it, luckily the Watcher had kept a hold of it.

"But yeah, getting our hands on treasure like that isn't going to happen a lot. So I was thinking that maybe we could, you know, rent out our services."

"What, like the Ghostbusters? I don't know Xander, I'm not going to not help somebody simply because he can't pay. And who would pay us anyway? People in this town are really good at ignoring the supernatural."

"Who says we should operate just in Sunnydale? You can fly and Giles can teleport. Right now he can't get make it any further than LA but he's confident he'll be able to teleport all the way to England in another year. The supernatural is everywhere so there are bound to be people somewhere who got money and a demon problem. It's just a matter of finding them," he ended passionately.

Buffy stayed quiet, her eyes focused inward as she considered that. "You've given this a lot of thought," she finally said.

"I have," Xander confirmed. "And there's still a lot I haven't thought of. Willow and Giles managed to come up with a dozen problems I hadn't even known existed right of the bat when I came to them with the idea. I'm not planning of actually doing this any time soon, but if something happens it would be good to have a plan, right?"

"Right. But," she went on frowning, "if you're not planning on setting up this company any time soon, why did you get this house? I mean, what if we decide not to use your idea, what then?"

"Sell it again, probably. And with all the repairs I've done I'm pretty sure I'll actually turn a profit on it too. In the mean time, this place can be our hideout. I had Giles put wards on the place so if we ever get a situation like with those Tarakan assassins or another visit by Loki's Children you can hide your mom here. And we'd have a safe place to sleep."

It earned him a dazzling smile from Buffy. "Great idea, but what about Willow's parents. Or yours? Oh, and Miss Calendar."

"Well, of course Miss Calendar is welcome to crash here. But chances are that Willow's parents will be off somewhere and as for my parents..." He wasn't sure if he should just come out and tell Buffy he didn't care about them. He'd never really told her about his home-life and he honestly didn't feel any desire to start now. But she deserved an honest answer too. "They wouldn't even listen if I did try to warn them. And that's when they're sober. If they're drunk they'll throw in some swearing and... stuff."

"Oh," was all Buffy could say. Silence stretched on as they both sought a safer, lighter topic.

"But you never told me what you think of my suggestion," Xander started. Seeing Buffy's look of incomprehension he tried to clarify. "I mean, for the name of the company. I thought it sounded descriptive, with a hint of mysterious. Like Cyberdyne Systems, or Omni Consumer Products. But without the soullessness."

"Hmmm, I don't know. OCP works, I'm none too sure about being an employee of the AS corporation."

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	3. Chapter 3

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work, and Dusel for his contribution._

**Legacy**

**City Hall, Mayor's Office**

"You know, Allan, I don't think Val's people are going to make another attempt in time to make a difference," Mayor Wilkins III noted sadly. His people had found out that the Watcher was the fourth Aesir, a fact he'd promptly passed along but the reception had been tepid.

"Could it be they've gotten cautious, sir?"

"Hmmm, no, I got another impression. It's almost as if their priorities have changed, as if the hunt for the Aesir isn't Loki's top concern anymore. Which, of course, begs the question what is? Not that there's any way to find out, my only contact with that world is Val and he's being even more tight lipped than normal."

"And with Buffy Summers return our window of opportunity is gone too," Finch pointed out.

"Ah," Wilkins raised a finger. "But it was never much of an opportunity anyway. My father always warned me about poking hornet's nests. Kill them all or leave them alone, anything else just nets you a bunch of angry hornets. A smart man," he reminisced.

Pulling himself away from his memories, Richard focused on the current problem. "But leaving them alone this close to the grand finale means they'll be around to spoil my big day. And we can't have that. Unfortunately, my best plan would make a terribly big mess and that would be a shame. So, we need to come up with a more neat solution and try that first."

He tapped the desk with his fingers as he looked out the window. The biggest problem was keeping things contained, ordered.

"Sir, what if we let it be known, discretely, amongst the, uh, demon community that they could earn a certain... appreciation if they dealt with the problem," the Deputy-Mayor proposed looking as uncomfortable as he sounded.

Richard dismissed his idea with a wave of his hand. "That would just produce the chaos I'm trying to avoid. The entire West Coast would learn about our Aesir-problem in a day and I can do without all the attention that would garner. No, that's..."

His gaze sharpened as he got an idea. "There is something else we can leak, though. We still have to clear up a few of the darker magical objects and having third parties do that would keep us out of the spotlight." His smile got a little wider. "And if they feel the need to test their new toys on the local heroes, why, that's really only natural."

He directed a beaming smile to Allan Finch. "It's good to see you're starting to participate, Allan. I was beginning to think your heart wasn't in it!"

His assistant's answering smile still looked uncomfortable, but it was a start.

**Wolfram & Hart, LA branch**

"Ah, Carolyn, you said there was something urgent you needed to talk about?" Holland Manners pried as the junior lawyer came into his office.

Carolyn Shelley bobbed her head. "I do, sir. I'm not sure if I should report to you or someone else, but since I'm on your team right now and the file isn't really clear..."

The blond stopped when Holland held up a hand. "Hold it right there. Why don't you tell me what this is about and we'll go from there."

The young lawyer shot him a grateful smile and started over. "It's this legacy project I got a year ago. It concerns the Excalibur project, there's been a development, and I don't know who I should report it too. There was a contact list in the file but that's at least 20 years out of date."

"Excalibur project, the name sounds familiar. Excalibur, Excal- Of course that was one of Bob's projects. I didn't know you got it after he moved on, congratulations."

"Uh, thank you. So, does this mean you know what I should do."

"Ah, no. Bob only mentioned it once and all I recall about it is that he inherited the case too. Why don't you refresh my memory."

She hesitated for a moment before thinking better. "The project's goal is to acquire a Dvergar artifact called Fragarach. The original team couldn't breach the ward protecting it so they left a seal to lock access to the cave and monitor the artifact and the guard they placed."

"Dvergar artifact," Manners mused as he once again felt a term niggle at his memory. "Are we talking about an Aesir weapon?" Carolyn had to consult her file, but then she nodded and a stunned Manners leaned back in his chair.

A moment later he straightened out again and fixed the junior lawyer with a piercing look. "What happened?"

"The Asagu is dead and so is the seal. But according to Records it logged someone taking the artifact right before that," Carolyn rattled off.

'An Asagu? I didn't even know the firm employed one of those, and then to lose it right along with the object we invested so much in...' Manners hissed as he considered how bad this news was and Carolyn flinched as she mistook the display for anger at her.

"Calm down, I'm just dismayed at the loss for the firm," he said soothingly. Then he got up. "Richard needs to know this right away. I'll come with you, we'll have to do some strategizing on finding whoever snatched it up from right under our noses anyway."

Shelley didn't get right up, however. "Richard? You mean Richard Felton, the head of Special Projects?" she asked with a stunned expression.

Impatiently, Holland nodded. "The Senior Partners take any dealings with the Aesir very serious. The possibility we have one here in California will have them up in arms. Tentacles too. So Richard will want to show he's on top of things, which means he needs to know now. So, come along."

This time, Carolyn did get up but she still looked frightened. Holland Manners sighed mentally. It looked like Carolyn didn't have what it took at Wolfram & Hart after all. Such a shame, she was a hard worker. Just not ambitious enough to make the sacrifices this job required.

Letting go of the matter, he started to consider how to find a being their seers and psychics couldn't see, and their mages couldn't track.

**Sunnydale, Sunnydale High**

"Good Lord, you defeated an Asagu?" Giles interrupted.

Buffy just shrugged, slumped in her chair. "That's what Mjöllnir called it. But what's the big deal? Yeah, he was though. Even Mjöllnir only scratched it, but it was slow and dumb too. I gotta tell you, if that was supposed to be one of the great and terrible Old Ones than I am officially unimpressed."

Giles could only stare. Asagus were a rare breed, true, and in most climates their weakness to water left them vulnerable. But that is why they usually sought out a dry environment where wasting water like that could be a death-sentence even if the Asagu lost. Of the few Slayers that had the misfortune of encountering that type of demon, only one had managed to escape.

But he decided not to tell her that. No need to feed her ego anymore than he'd already had. "Ah, it's just that they're extremely rare."

"So what? Did I violate some Protected Wildlife law for demons?"

"Ah, no, I'm just surprised there was an Asagu in California. Uhm, if you couldn't penetrate the armor with Mjöllnir how did you defeat it?"

For some odd reason, Buffy blushed at the question and looked away. "I used my shirt to block those tubes it uses to breath," she mumbled.

His eyebrows lifted as he imagined that scene, then his own cheeks flushed as he realized in just what a state that course of action would have left his charge. "Ingenious," was all he said. "I hope you won't mind me putting that in my report. Having that alternate strategy available could be life-saving to some future Slayer."

And then winched as he realized his words could easily be construed as a reference to Kendra. So he went on trying to distract Buffy. "I'll say you used some rags that were lying around or some such to, ah, protect your, uhm, well, your modesty."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that," Buffy told him wryly.

"Yes, well, there is another matter concerning my reports you should know. If the Council should ask, you destroyed Acathla this summer."

"I destroyed what now?"

"Acathla," Giles repeated. "A demon that tried to suck the world into hell several centuries ago. They found him underneath the construction site where you fought the Children a few weeks ago."

Hearing that, Buffy straightened up. "You fought some powerful demon while I was gone? Giles, that's important. Did anybody get hurt?"

Giles hastily moved to put Buffy at ease. "No, no, nothing like that. It was rather embarrassingly easy, as a matter of fact. You see, the demon was defeated by a virtuous knight right before he could take that world-ending breath and that turned him to stone."

"Oh." Buffy's expression grew puzzled. "So... you slayed a statue?"

"That's the short of it," the Watcher admitted. "It really was just a matter of running it through with Gungnir. I told the Council there was a prophecy on the protective stone covering that the demon was in about the person who could permanently kill the demon and that you fitted the bill. I won't bore you with the details..."

"Since I'll just forget them and shorten it to: Me, demon statue, sledgehammer," Buffy finished with a grin.

"Sword," Giles corrected, "But yes, something like that. You, ah, hammered the sword deeper into the stone and that killed it. According to my report."

"Got it," she chimed in not losing her bright smile. But then her expression grew solemn. "Uhm, Giles. I was wondering if you could tell me... If you could tell me who the Slayer before me was. I've been wondering what kind of person she was."

The request startled Giles, but not the motivation behind it. Knowing Kendra was gone and a new Slayer had replaced her must have made Buffy wonder who she had replaced herself. Really, he should have anticipated this. But he hadn't and now he had precious little to tell her. "Uh, if I recall correctly she was an American as well, however, she was in Japan when she was called. I believe her name was India Cohen, but I couldn't tell you more. I have her Watcher's diary, I could get it if you'd like to read it?"

The blond thought it over. "Yeah, I think I do."

"I'll get it then."

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	4. Chapter 4

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work, and Dusel for his contribution._

**First Impressions**

**Joyce's Gallery**

"Are you sure you don't need to worry about splinters?" Mom checked.

Giving her a reassuring smile, Buffy leaned down to grab a hold of the crate. "I'm sure, Mom. Now relax, I'll have these crates open in a jiffy." Making good on her word, she tore off the lid as easily as another would have opened an envelope.

The blonde spared the contents a brief look, the wooden statue cradled in packing material inside staring right back at her, and then moved on to the next crate. "That's some ugly art," she remarked.

"It's all from Nigeria. And just because it's different does not make it ugly," her mother lectured. "I'll have you know this is some very exciting work. All of them were expertly carved using just hand-tools. The artists had to put a lot of work into each one of them."

Buffy shrugged. "And yet, they're still ugly." The crack of the crate opening punctuated her remark. Putting the lid aside, she caught a glimpse of what was inside and stopped dead in her tracks.

The mask inside was ugly. The eyes cut out of its reddish wood were slanted at an angry angle and the real teeth set in its upper jaw were all fangs. What was worse was the demonic energy Buffy could feel trapped inside it. As she watched, the Hellmouth's ever-present energy leaked into the mask and disappeared shortly followed by a pulse of even fouler mystical energy coming out of it.

The pulse was very weak, but still raised the hairs on her arms. Seeing Buffy's disgusted look Joyce came over and looked into the crate too. "Hmm, maybe I'll hang that in my room. It'll cheer it up and I don't have space for everything here anyway."

Hearing that, Buffy shot her mother a look of disbelief. "Cheer your room up? Mom, that thing is evil. It wants you to suffer!"

"Honestly, Buffy, you have no appreciation for primitive art."

Getting a bit miffed, the blonde went into detail. "This isn't about its artistic value, Mom. I know that thing is evil the same way I know a vampire is." Ignoring Joyce's startled exclamation she went on. "Right now, it looks to be charging up using the actual Hellmouth. And since having your gallery get trashed by some demonic Energizer Bunny would be hard to explain to the insurance, best if we trash it now."

With those words the Aesir summoned Mjöllnir to her hand. _"One smashed demonic mask, coming up!"_ the war hammer crowed.

But before Buffy could even raise the weapon, her mom spoke up. "You will do no such thing. I've paid good money for this and I won't have you destroy a piece of my collection just because you have a bad feeling about it."

Buffy shot her a hurt look, then returned her hammer to its pendant form. "Fine, if my word isn't good enough then maybe Giles can convince you. He's probably got a book about it too and of course those are easier to believe than your own daughter!"

Not giving Mom a chance to speak the blonde Aesir snatched up the mask and stormed out of the Art Gallery leaving her mother no other option than to follow.

**Sunnydale High**

It was with mixed feelings that Joyce picked up one of the mask's pieces. She was lamenting the loss of investment, yes. But Buffy had been right and her disbelief had hurt her daughter. She was also going to have a good word with her supplier. Although how exactly she could discuss the subject of dangerous magical artifacts with him when he probably didn't believe in magic in the first place was a problem.

But there was another problem she could deal with right now. Joyce looked at her daughter whose posture was still a mix of anger, hurt, and defensiveness. "I'm sorry I doubted you, honey. You were right and I should have trusted you on this. You're the expert after all." She looked back at the piece in her hand. "It's just that I thought I could trust Bill. I've known him since college!"

"He probably didn't know," a mollified Buffy offered. "Giles didn't know what exactly it was either, it took him an hour to find it. And if it really needed the Hellmouth to charge up and actually do something than there's no way a regular person could suspect it was anything but your regular creepy mask."

"And me?"

"Well..." Buffy said slowly. "There's this sweater at April Fools that would make me totally forget about anything traumatic like not being believed by my own mother."

"Uh huh."

**6 Crawford Street**

Cordelia Chase had been sure Xander was having her on when he gave her the address to his new home. She'd known the street and knew what kind of houses were there. Better said, she knew the kind of money you needed to have to be able to life there.

Seeing what was on 6 Crawford Street hadn't dissuaded her from the idea this was one of Xander's pranks. That this was some kind of payback for having spent the entire summer in Mexico and not talking to him until the first day of school. It was obvious the mansion had spent a while being abandoned, it still half-looked like that. The new, cheap doors she knocked on only reinforced that impression.

And then Xander opened the door. "You actually live here?"

"Uh, yeah," he said as he moved out of the way to let her in. "Why else would I tell you I live here?"

"Maybe because your crashing here or, I don't know, house-sitting and you want to impress me." Cordelia walked further into the house, noting the cheap furniture and the big fireplace. To the right, in some kind of side-room, she could see wood and a workbench.

"Nope, I own this place fair and square." He walked past her. "Want a tour of the place?"

She nodded. "But first, I want to know how. And then, why?"

"The why is easy. I so didn't want to live with my parents anymore and thanks to Giles with a little help from Willow, this place is a fortress. As for how..." Xander got an impish smile. "It's a standard rule that after you slay the end-boss, you get his loot."

"Don't geek out on me, Harris," Cordelia growled.

It didn't make much of an impression on him. In fact, he came a little closer. "Remember those Children of Loki I told you about right before you went on vacation?"

Frowning, Cordelia nodded. She'd missed it on account of her parents dragging her along to some benefit in LA, but Xander had told her all about it. "Turns out they're loaded and seriously behind the times. Stashed away a bunch of silver and gold coins and all of them are more than a hundred years old. I used part of my share to buy this place."

She mulled that over for a moment. "You're rich now?" That felt a bit odd. "That's great, I guess."

"And here my friends were warning me about gold diggers," Xander joked.

Punching him in the arm would be more satisfying if it actually hurt him a bit, but Cordelia did it anyway. "I'm being serious here! You were this poor loser when we started dating, but also a great guy. And now you're rich and... good-looking. I kind of feel like I've been shallow all along after all."

"Ah, well, in my defense I always was good-looking." Seeing her rear her fist back for another punch, he held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll be serious. And I've never thought you were shallow," he assured her as he started rubbing her arm in comfort. "But if it helps to convince you, I could just give my money away and go live in my parents' basement. I'm sure they won't ask for too much rent."

Cordelia couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, but I think I'll get over it without that. Although," she said as she eliminated what little space was still between them, "buying me dinner at Pierre's would help."

"Hmm, living in my parents' basement or take you to a fancy restaurant. A fancy restaurant or my parents' basement, what to chose, what to chose."

"Oh shut up," she said before kissing him. The tour could wait until later, right now there was something else she wanted to get reacquainted with.

**Sunnydale, Bronze**

Reclining in a chair, sipping from her soft drink while listening to the music with her friends, Buffy felt very content with her life. Sure, the way her friends were all coupley and together made her miss Angel, but that miss was a familiar one by now. It didn't hurt so much as it threaded a momentary line of sadness through her thoughts. But it wasn't enough to spoil her mood.

Movement on the dance floor drew her attention, a couple moved off to somewhere quieter bringing a pair into view who were dancing a little more energetically than anybody else. The girl's moves were at least not as dated as the guy's, who was dressed as if he'd come straight out of the era of disco. The blond gasped as her other senses finally got a good look at them.

And apparently she wasn't the only one to notice the couple. "Check out Slut-O-Rama and her Disco Dave," Cordelia said disparagingly. "What was the last thing that guy danced to, K.C. and the Sunshine Band?"

"I don't think he's seen a lot of sunshine lately," Xander opined. "Must be new in town or he would have known that vampires can go into the Bronze..." And there he waited; probably hoping his friends would chime in. They didn't. "I thought it was funny," he mumbled defensively. "So who wants to go rescue the girl?"

'So he noticed the vampire, but missed what she is,' Buffy mused. Not that she could blame him, even she had trouble with the dark, elusive energy that signaled a new Slayer had come to Sunnydale. "I think she'll do fine on her own, Xan. She's the new Slayer."

"Really?" He looked at the girl with renewed interest earning him a sharp elbow from Cordelia.

"Just remember that we'll have to pretend I'm just a slayer and you two are normal people," she reminded her friends.

"Guess that means I can't invite her to stay in my mansion," Xander quipped. Then, seeing Cordelia's glare, he quickly amended, "Not that I would."

As the song came to an end, the Slayer got close with the vampire and then pointed at the door. Taking the hint, the 70's relic put his arm around the girl and started to lead her outside. "You stay," Buffy told the others. "I'll go and welcome her to the Hellmouth. We'll be back in a minute."

Moving past the bar a guy tried to talk to her, Buffy was pretty sure he was a classmate, but she breezed past him. She had no time or real desire to explain to him she was spoken for right now. Opening the door, the blonde stepped out of the Bronze.

***

Faith couldn't help but grin as the vamp pressed her against the chain link fencing. It was her first night in the 'Dale and she'd hit the jackpot at the first club she'd gone to. Not only a vampire to play with, but the Slayer was pretty sure the blonde girl she'd spotted inside was Buffy. She matched the description anyway.

The sound of footsteps getting closer only confirmed it; the blonde was probably following poor, defenseless Faith to rescue her from the big, bad vampire. 'Time to make an impression.'

"Stop struggling, this won't hurt," the vampire told her. The words only added to her good mood because boy was he wrong; grabbing the demon's neck with her left hand Faith easily pushed him away before elbowing him in the face. With the vampire staggering back, Faith jumped onto a crate she'd spotted before to get some more height and then off the crate with a jumping roundhouse kick that knocked Disco Stu to the pavement.

Looking over, she noticed Buffy had arrived. Except she didn't look confused or puzzled like Faith had expected. Instead, she seemed to be taking it in a stride that some stranger was kicking a vampire's butt. Forging ahead, she smiled at the blonde and approached her. 'Okay Faith, time to show your stuff.'

"Hey," she said out loud. "It's okay, I got this. You're, uh, Buffy, right?" Adding that little uncertainty was a nice touch but all she got from Buffy was a single raised eyebrow. Faith also got her first good look up-close of the infamous Buffy. From the stories her Watcher had told her she was expecting someone that was sort of like her; a hot and tough chick with superpowers, only blonde and not as tall as her.

But Buffy looked, well, she looked like a girl, a girly girl. 'She looks like a cheerleader,' Faith thought with distaste. 'This is supposed to be the girl that took down the Master?'

Buffy was looking her over too, but Faith couldn't tell what the blonde thought of her. And she'd run out of time to figure it out too, 'cause that damn vampire took that moment to jump her from behind.

A headbutt solved that problem. The vamp let go but Faith wasn't done with him. This time she grabbed him, holding him for a moment to introduce herself. "I'm Faith." And then finished by twisting her opponent around and shoving him into another section of chain link fence.

While he was busy gathering his wits, Faith pounced on him burying her fist in his back followed by a knee in the same spot. Another couple of punches later, Faith threw the now thoroughly sorry demon to the ground. And that's where the problems started.

By this time she'd imagined snatching the stake from Buffy's hand while she was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Except, and she looked over at the blonde again just to make sure, her fellow slayer's hands were empty. Getting worried now, Faith looked around trying to find something else she could use to finish the vampire off.

At last, Buffy said something. "Forget your stake?" The humor in that voice stung just a bit, especially 'cause Faith had wanted to be the one on top in this meeting. It was also a pleasant surprise, because that voice was nothing like the ditzy one Faith had been imagining, despite the Californian accent.

Of course, she wouldn't let a little thing like this leave her speechless. "No worries, I never have problem getting some wood, B." Seeing the blonde's shocked expression brought some of her confidence back.

Too bad it wasn't the only thing getting up. Stu growled as he lunged at her, but Faith didn't pay too much attention to his attack even as she side-stepped it and helped him plow straight into another fence. Because she'd seen the crate she'd used earlier as a step-up and it was made out of wood.

She was crouching beside it in two steps and had broken off a piece of it by the time the vampire tried its luck again. A mule kick stopped his charge cold and doubled him over leaving his chest in the perfect position to be stabbed as she came up from her crouch.

As he finally collapsed into dust, Faith instantly felt better. And hungry. She almost started to walk towards Buffy to give her back her stake when she remembered that her scheme hadn't gone to plan. Mourning the loss of a good line she couldn't use now, she let the improvised stake clatter to the concrete.

And then just stood there, a little unsure now how to proceed. Nodding to the club, Buffy took the lead. "Come on, let's get inside and I'll introduce you to the gang."

Not having any better ideas and looking forward to getting something to eat, Faith shrugged and followed.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	5. Chapter 5

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**Kissing Toast**

**Sunnydale, Bronze**

'She's got some weird friends,' Faith concluded as she popped a piece of a muffin into her mouth. It had been a little weird that they even knew about the Slaying, but she thought she'd adjusted well enough to that. The bigger audience was nice.

"The whole summer it was, like, the worst heat wave," the Slayer started while looking at the couple to her right. They were weird because they were together. The Cordelia chick was clearly some rich girl, probably high up on the high school food chain. Her boyfriend, however, was clearly a geek. A good-looking one, but not what the brunette was supposed to be dating.

"So it's about a hundred and eighteen degrees and I'm sleeping without a stitch on." That picture did get a normal reaction out of the odd couple. Xander was practically drooling while his girlfriend looked very not amused at his reaction.

It was Buffy's other friends who showed their weirdness then. The guy who's name was Oz looked cool as a cucumber, not reacting at all after hearing she'd slept in the nude. His girlfriend, though, had a very strong reaction. The redhead's eyes bugged out and then she licked her lips as Red blatantly checked Faith out. If it weren't clear how much Willow was into her boyfriend she would have sworn the girl was batting for the other team.

Finishing her fourth muffin, Faith got on with the story. "And all of a sudden, I hear this screaming from outside. So I go tearing out, stark nude, and this church bus has broken down, and there's these three vamps feasting on half the Baptists in South Boston. So I waste the vamps, and the preacher comes up, and he's hugging me like there's no tomorrow, when all of a sudden, the cops pull up and they arrested us both."

Faith checked Buffy's reaction to that story under the guise of grabbing another muffin, but she didn't seem very impressed or shocked as the brunette had hoped. The blond was a puzzle herself too. She looked like a typical Valley-girl, but when she moved there was no mistaking her for that. 'Dangerous.'

Xander, on the other hand, was impressed with her tale. "Wow, they should film that story and show it every Christmas."

It earned him another death-glare from Cordelia, but it was Buffy's faintly amused smile that made Faith go for broke on trying to get a rise out of her fellow slayer. "God, I could eat a horse. Isn't it crazy how slaying just always makes you hungry and horny?" And just for emphasize she gobbled up a third of a muffin in one go.

This time, she hit jackpot. All of her friend turned their heads towards Buffy who got real uncomfortable under their combined stares. She was even blushing a bit. "Well... Sometimes I-I crav, huh, crave a nonfat yogurt afterwards."

"Oh," Willow suddenly spoke up before looking at Faith. "You haven't told us yet why you're here. I mean, when Kendra visited it was because we had a big evil brewing. Is that why your Watcher sent you?"

Faith did her best to mask the stab of grief and fear at the mentioning of her Watcher. She must have done a poor job of it because Willow was suddenly looking a lot more intently at her. "She didn't, actually. My Watcher went off to some retreat thing in England, and so I skipped out. I figured this was my chance to meet the infamous Buff," Faith used that as an excuse to stop meeting Willow's gaze, "and compare notes. So, B, did you really fight a robo-serial killer once?"

For some reason Buffy didn't look entirely happy at her mentioning the robot. "Yeah, he was dating my Mom and, huh, I wasn't sure what he was at first."

"He was evil," Xander interrupted. "A diabolical cooking genius that tried to fool us with food." Seeing everybody looking at him now, the boy quickly changed the subject. "So, huh, what was the, ehm, story about that alligator? You said something about alligators... before."

Not minding the change in subject too much, Faith dove right in. "Oh, there's this Big Daddy Vampire out of Missouri who used to keep them as pets. So he's got me rasslin' one of them, okay? The thing must have been twelve feet long and I'm..."

"So was this, ahem, also naked?"

Giving Xander a teasing smile, Faith confirmed the alligator was indeed naked. He took the joke well and they both laughed when Cordelia broke in. "Xander, find a new theme."

Faith shook her head at their antics and decided to save the story. "I tell ya, I never had more trouble than that damn vamp. So," Faith nodded to Buffy, "what about you? What was your toughest kill?"

The blond opened her mouth to answer, then seemed to think better of it. Her eyes darted towards her friends before focusing on the floor as Buffy seemed to be searching for an answer. "Uh, well, you know..." She looked up and gave her a smile. "They're all difficult, I guess, in their own way."

Getting really curious now, Faith decided not to say anything and just wait. Unfortunately, one of her friends rescued her from finally answering the question; Oz, who had been as quiet and still as a statue up until now, suddenly got a bit more animated. "Something occurring. Now, you both kill vamps, and who could blame you, but I'm wondering about your position on werewolves."

Faith's eyebrows rose at that question, and went even higher when Willow put a hand on his shoulder and explained to her that he was a werewolf. This was her first time hearing werewolves existed so she didn't have an answer ready.

"It's a long story," Buffy told her with a smile. A smile that died with Oz's laconic remark that he got bit.

'Buffy's friends are really weird,' Faith amended as she decided to go for casual. "Hey, as long as you don't go scratching at me or humpin' my leg, we're five-by-five, you know?"

"Fair enough."

"The vamps, though, they better get their asses to DEFCON 1, 'cause you and I are gonna have fun, you know." With those words Faith reclined back as she smiled a little more. "Watcherless and fancy-free."

Buffy's next word ruined her good mood, though. "Watcherless?"

Feeling the smile on her face congeal, Faith asked the question to which she was pretty sure she wasn't going to like the answer to. "Didn't yours go to England too?"

**Sunnydale High**

"There's a Watchers' retreat every year in the Cotswolds," Giles explained wistfully. "It's a lovely spot. It's very serene. There's horse riding, and hiking, and punting." His spirit lifted as he imagined what it must be like. "Lectures and discussions. It-It's a great honor to be invited," he went on with diminishing enthusiasm as he came back to reality. "Or so I'm told."

"Meh, it's boring," the new Slayer dismissed. "Way too stuffy for a guy like you."

That remark surely surprised Giles who had thought he'd been very successful at being stuffy. 'No, the word I'm looking for is responsible.'

_"But she's half-right. The fact that they didn't invite you says to me that you wouldn't have many intelligent conversations there anyway,"_ a miffed Gungnir said. _"After all, you need at least two intelligent people for that."_ Obviously he took the slight to his wielder personal.

Buffy's defense, though, Giles could do without. "Um, maybe I should introduce you again. Faith, this is Giles." And she stressed his name like that said it all.

"I've seen him." After which he was on the receiving end of an uncomfortably appraising look. "If I'd known they came that young and cute, I would've requested a transfer." Giles found himself very glad that Jenny couldn't make it to this meeting.

Buffy, too, seemed to wish that she hadn't been there to hear that. "Raise your hand if 'ew'." She proceeded to do just that with Xander following her lead.

_"The girl certainly is laying on the charm a bit thick,"_ Gungnir remarked.

"Yes, well, leaving aside for a moment my, uhm, youth and beauty, there is other business that we must attend to." Having said that he walked over to where he'd left his newspaper and brought it to the table. "Two people disappeared in the Sunset Ridge District last night and a, ah, employee of Happy Burger working the drive-through was hauled bodily out of his booth."

"Aha," Willow spoke up. "So there's big evil brewing after all." She looked at Faith. "You'll never be bored here, Faith. Evil in Sunnydale never takes a vacation. Except during the summer." It earned her a smile from the girl.

"And that's how you can tell they haven't unionized," Xander quipped. "No pay, no lunch breaks, and way too little vacation time."

"Getting back to the topic of missing people," Giles said without mentioning what they all suspected; that those people were already dead. "I propose Buffy and, ah, Faith patrol Sunset Ridge while I and Xander will handle the vampire that is supposed to rise tonight over at Espenson. Willow, if you wouldn't mind taking the first shift of watching over Oz, I'll come back afterwards to take that duty over. Tomorrow is a school night after all."

Before any of the children could agree to his plan, Faith spoke up. "Damn, you weren't kidding when you said this place was hopping."

"This is just small stuff, the Big Bads don't come around until November or so," Buffy responded. "And it sounds like a plan, but the patrol is going to have to start late-ish. Mom wants me home for dinner. Oh," and she turned to Faith. "She want to meet you so you're invited to dinner too."

"Dying to meet the fam', count me in."

Buffy didn't seem too enthusiastic about the invitation though. More like worried. "Great, great. So, uh, why don't we give you a tour of the place?"

"Sounds good. And we," Faith turned back to Giles, "will talk weapons later."

Murmuring his assent, Giles watched as they all moved out of the library. 'This new Slayer is certainly livelier than Kendra.'

_"You think so? To me, she seemed to be trying just a little too hard."_

'Which is a perfectly normal reaction when first meeting a group of strangers that you want to be liked by. I think you just don't like the fact that you can't go surf the web with her around.'

_"That's not it at all, Rupert. It grieves me to learn you think me an addict."_

Sipping his tea, Giles parried. 'Actually, I'm imagining you as someone wanting that first cup of coffee in the morning.'

_"Something that wouldn't be an issue if you finally got that T1 connection I asked for. You might not want to join the 21st century, but I do!"_

'Alright, we'll do it.' He waited just long enough for Gungnir's pleasure at the news to leak through before finishing the thought. 'But you will have to pay for it.' Smiling, Giles took another sip of tea as Gungnir complained about his little joke.

**Sunnydale, Sunset Ridge District**

"Didn't we do this street already, B?" Faith asked sounding a bit bored.

Buffy couldn't help herself, Faith had started to get under her skin. "Funny thing about vamps. They'll hit a street even after you've been there. It's like they have no manners." It had been less than a month since she'd heard of Kendra's death and having her replacement suddenly appear stung more than just a little. She'd been a Slayer herself, and the idea that they were replaced so easily just rankled somewhere.

Still, if it had just been that, Buffy would have bit her tongue and smiled. But she'd noticed Faith's reaction at learning Giles wasn't in England. And Willow had told her that the strongest emotion Faith had felt when she'd talked of her own Watcher was fear. Add to that the way Faith been actually flirting with Giles and Buffy got the feeling Faith was holding something back; or trying to distract everybody from asking a question.

_"And have you noticed her eating habits? Ravenous like she's had few good meals in a long while. As if the opportunity is something that can be snatched away at any time."_

'At the Bronze she just slayed a vampire,' Buffy argued. Then she realized just what kind of opening she'd given Mjöllnir.

_"You're the expert on post-slaying urges,"_ the mystical war hammer conceded far too happily.

Deciding that not deigning that remark with a response was the best way to avoid giving Mjöllnir more openings, Buffy soldiered on. 'Of course, it was just one and she did seem to be just as hungry at dinner...'

_"In other words, I'm right. But that leaves the more important question unanswered."_

'Why,' Buffy finished. 'What could be the reason Faith's ready to... ready to bolt. Maybe she's on the run, or trying to get away from something.'

_"Or someone. Willow did mention our new Slayer feels a great deal of fear for her Watcher."_

Buffy's expression grew troubled as she considered that scenario. At first, it was hard to swallow. Her Watchers had never been people that were anything but loyal allies. Merrick had died for her and Giles would have done the same if she hadn't knocked him unconscious. But on the other hand...

'Kendra's Watcher seemed to be way different. Oh sure, I never got the impression he was abusive or anything but Faith isn't Kendra either. The things Kendra wouldn't have batted an eye at would probably not slide with Faith. And then cue the conflict snowballing down the mountain.'

"You're the expert."

"Huh?" A startled Buffy looked over at Faith before realizing she was reacting to what she'd just said. "Oh, right. Yeah, guess I am. I've been doing this long enough anyway."

"Maybe a little too long," Faith muttered quietly as they slipped past a fence onto an industrial terrain. Plywood, aluminum ducting, and other stuff were piled up against a wall to their right while construction equipment was scattered around the rest of the place.

The comment wasn't so low that Buffy didn't hear it, though. "What do you mean?"

The brunette shrugged. "Nothing, just that you seem to be taking this all way too seriously. You got the greatest deal in the world, you could be living large and have fun! Instead you're pretending to be something you're not." For a moment, Buffy's heart thudded in her ears as she thought Faith was talking about her still being a Slayer. Faith's next words dispelled that worry.

"An average, weak girl dreaming of that white picket-fence and the right guy." The derision in Faith's voice had grown with each word in that sentence.

"Not all of us want to sleep in the nude and wrestle alligators," the blond responded mildly.

"Maybe it's time you started. It's obvious something in your bottle needs uncorking," Faith said suggestively as she invaded Buffy's personal space.

The girl's nearness made Buffy unreasonably uncomfortable, but she had no intention of backing off. She wasn't going to hand this Slayer that kind of victory. "Thanks for the advice, but I have fun my way and I am going to lead my life my way. I don't need life-lessons from a rookie," she finished needling Faith right back.

"I'm not a rookie," Faith bit out.

Buffy noticed she'd hit a sore spot, and paused for a moment to figure out if she should try and defuse the situation. Or shake this tree some more and see what fell out? "Just telling it how it is, F." Buffy sneered. "Compared to me, you're still a newbie."

Faith's eyes flashed. "Oh, you think you can take me?" the brunette backed off too, but it was clearly to get some space in case fists were going to fly.

"In a heart-beat," Buffy stated matter-of-factly. Then her eyes caught sight of a group of vampires coming their way. "So it's a good thing they don't have one," the blond said nodding to the now rapidly approaching demons.

"What?" Faith asked even as she turned to see what Buffy was talking about only to get tackled by the first vampire. The next tried to do the same to Buffy but she brushed him aside as she moved over to where Faith lay. She didn't want to risk Faith's life just to hide her secret so she kicked her attacker with full strength.

Teeth and blood flew away as his head and then his upper body snapped up. He'd only just lost that momentum when Buffy grabbed him by the shirt to drag him off of Faith and flipped him over onto his back, hard. She had just enough time to stake the disorientated demon before his buddies reached them.

Faith flipped herself to her feet right before a vampire confronted her. Buffy didn't really see what happened next because his three friends all went after her. Grimacing at the fact that using Mjöllnir would be too blatant, the blond blocked their first few strikes.

_"Great, once again I'm relegated to useless spectator only good for cheering you on from the sidelines,"_ Mjöllnir complained.

'I'd like to finish this quickly too, but we got to keep you a secret from them,' Buffy thought back as she deflected two strikes simultaneously. Then one thought to get tricky and instead of a punch he took a hold of her right arm and tried to fling her into a dumpster. Buffy went along with it just long enough to get into the right position to turn the tables and sending him flying instead, the impact actually cracking the plastic of the dumpster.

Unfortunately, one of the others turned out to be both sneaky and really fast because he took the opportunity of Buffy having turned her back on them to kick her in the back of the knee followed by a karate-chop to her neck that sent her stumbling forward.

Feeling more annoyed with herself for giving them such a good opening than with the vampire that had hit her, Buffy turned the stumble into a roll. As she came up from that roll, the demon she'd thrown against the dumpster rose as well. Still groggy, he didn't even notice her stake entering his heart.

When she turned, two vampires had become three again. A straggler who was actually breathing hard thus betraying how new he was to the being undead-thing. Behind them, Faith was still fighting her first vampire and Buffy could just hear what Faith said after a punch slipped past her guard. "My dead mother hits harder than that!" After which she punched the vampire right back before throwing him through some wooden plank that was lying about.

'That doesn't sound right,' Buffy thought frowning as Faith started wailing on her opponent.

The vampire that had sneak-attacked her took advantage of her distraction by trying to rush her, his two companions following his lead. He lead in with a kick Buffy sidestepped than she kicked the vampire to his left in the guts preempting any move he could make.

Before she could turn her attention to the newbie of the trio, however, the sneaky one let loose a barrage of quick jabs that drew her attention away from the vampire on her right. Still, he wasn't doing anything Buffy couldn't keep up with.

Even when the newbie grabbed hold of her right arm Buffy didn't feel like she was in problem. She just needed some distance between her and the sneak so she could deal with her hanger-on. One quick kick provided that distance and then she just lifted her arm up taking the newbie with it before throwing him away.

Unfortunately, he had given the other two ideas because now they jumped her together dragging her to the ground with them. 'Okay, getting a little worried now.'

"For Kakistos we live, for Kakistos you die," one of them hissed at her.

Giving them a weird look, Buffy gave them her best dumb-blond act. "What's so great about kissing toast?"

While they were distracted by that leap in logic, Buffy quickly placed her hands over their hearts and took a deep breath to carefully gather her power. Firing lightning bolts from her hands would catch Faith's attention after all and she wasn't that desperate.

It still was enough to have that funky effect on her eyes apparently, because now the two vampires got a real surprised look on their faces. With an explosion of breath she pushed her power down her arms and into her opponents' hearts.

She'd hoped to stun them that way so she could get them off of her and then stake them while they were still twitching. But Buffy still didn't have a good idea of just how much power she had for instead of getting paralyzed, they cried out then disintegrated like she'd put a stake through their hearts.

"Whoops," Buffy said then looked over at Faith to see if she was dealing with that newbie now. 'Is she still pummeling that first vampire? Just look at him, he isn't even moving anymore.' She didn't seem to have an eye for anything else and the last vampire could have taken her by complete surprise.

He, however, was running scared after seeing everybody else in his group getting beaten like a drum and was running as fast as he could back the way he'd come. Close to a hundred yards away and there was a building coming up the demon would probably duck behind for cover. Getting cranky now Buffy threw her stake after him and smiled grimly when it sunk into the vampire's back.

He went down with a stumble, rolled over the ground a few times then scrambled back up and disappeared out of sight taking one of her two stakes with him. And Faith was still hitting the unconscious vampire. "Dammit," Buffy cursed as she pulled her last stake. The blond was very tempted to just leave her here and go after the escapee, if it weren't for the fact that it was pretty unlikely she would catch up with him without flying.

'What's wrong with her?' Buffy grumbled as she marched over to the Slayer. Yanking her off the vampire without saying a word, the Aesir just staked him before turning back to a heavily breathing Faith. "What's wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you living large on that vampire!" Buffy took care to put some sarcastic emphasis on the "living large" part.

"Gee, if doing violence to vampires upsets you, I think you're in the wrong line of work."

"The job is slaying demons," Buffy countered. "Not beat one of them to a bloody pulp while his friends stand around completely being ignored by you! They could have ripped out your throat and you wouldn't have even noticed!"

Now Faith's voice gained some heat as well. "I noticed them. If any of them had the balls to attack me I would have handled it. But I guess they saw you and recognized an easy target."

"We aren't talking about their mistakes," Buffy riposted. "We were talking about yours."

"Whatever," the brunette humphed, then turned her back on Buffy and started to walk away.

The blond didn't follow her, just sighed. 'There's definitely something wrong with her. And what was up with those vampires and their love for Mexican food?'

_"They said Kakistos, not Taquitos."_

'Oh, okay... What's a Kakistos?'

_"A name, I think. It's old Greek for worst of the worst so it could be title too. In either case, it's a person."_

'Then there's two things we need to talk to Giles about,' Buffy thought as she finally set off as well.

_"Two things?"_

'Yup, I want Giles to make a call to that retreat and find out what the heck's wrong with Faith. Because that girl is playing with less than a full deck and one dead Slayer this year is too much already.' She didn't have to elaborate on what the other thing was. They both knew they'd had to ask Giles if he knew who this Kakistos was.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	6. Chapter 6

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work, and Dusel for his contribution._

**Fear Itself**

**Sunnydale High**

Buffy gently placed the journal she'd lent on the counter as Giles stood up from retrieving some books. "It was an interesting read, could've used a better ending though," the blond joked lamely.

"Did you get the answers you were looking for out of it?"

She didn't answer right away. What had she wanted to find out? Who India Cohen was? How she'd died? Or just how the Slayer before her had lived? The answer for all three was that she had learned some, but Buffy was now certain that quite a bit had been left out of the Watcher's Journal.

So she guessed she did get something out of it. The knowledge that she would never really know her predecessor and that was probably true for Kendra too. She'd never known Buffy wasn't a Slayer anymore, to take one example. "Yeah, I guess I did," the Aesir said quietly.

Shaking her head to get rid of that depressing thought, Buffy went on. "Giles, I think I found out who's behind those disappearances."

Giles looked up from the book laid out on the counter. "Oh?"

"Yeah, me and Faith got jumped by these vampires. One of them said he, uh, lived for Kakistos. Mjöllnir said it's old Greek for Worst of the Worst," Buffy finished. Noticing Giles' reaction, she prodded, "You know who that is?"

"Uhm, yes, it's the name of a vampire; a very old one. So old in fact, that his hands and feet are cloven. Over the centuries he's killed quite a few Slayers and... and you say he is here?"

"And he comes to town right when our newest, unstable Slayer decides to make a visit," Buffy said as a new thought entered her mind. 'What if Faith isn't running from her Watcher, but this Kakistos?'

"Unstable?" Giles enquired.

"Oh, right, I haven't told you yet. When these vampires jumped us, Faith just lost it. She just kept hitting this one vampire leaving me to deal with the rest. If she'd been alone, she'd be dead."

"Well, she is different from you. Are you certain it wasn't just a case of a plucky fighter getting carried away?"

Buffy emphatically shook her head. "No, when I pulled her off of him so I could stake the vamp, she was actually surprised!"

"Yes, that does sound worrisome. And you think there's a connection between her and Kakistos."

"There's two things in this world I don't believe in and that's leprechauns and coincidences. And when you combine that with Willow's warning Faith gets jumpy when talking about her Watcher; I'm not liking the picture at all. So I want you to get on the phone and try to get in touch with this Watcher Retreat, find out if she's actually there."

Looking at his watch, Giles assented. "They're about eight hours ahead now, so they'll probably be sitting down for a nightcap." He paused for a moment as his gaze turned inward. "I wonder if they still kayak. I used to love a good kayak." He looked over at Buffy who was feeling too antsy to indulge him right now.

"While we're still young and they're still enjoying that nightcap, Giles."

"Ah, yes, right." And with those words he went into his office leaving Buffy with time to spare. Unable to think of anything better to do, she hauled out the book they were reading for Literature Class. Ms. Murray was big on participation and it would be nice if she knew what they were discussing in class.

She was just finishing the part where Hamlet debated killing Claudius while he was praying when Giles came back. And judging from his expression, it wasn't good news. "You reached the retreat," Buffy concluded.

"Yes, I did. It seems her Watcher is dead."

That was bad. And Buffy now had a good idea of what Faith's problem was, she'd lost a Watcher too. "Did they tell you how?"

Giles' expression went from sad to downright grim. "No, they wouldn't tell me much more than that she was dead. I got the impression they don't even know where Faith is."

"No offense, Giles, but you guys really need to start communicating because this is getting kind of ridiculous."

"I agree, although it is a bit hypocritical of me given that I failed to inform them Faith is here."

"You did?" a surprised Buffy asked.

Her Watcher simply shrugged. "It slipped my mind. But getting back to Faith..."

"After school's out I'll go out and see what's she got to say when I mention Kakistos. Or if she tries to get out of Dodge," Buffy finished.

**Sunnydale Motor Inn**

Faith still had a little trouble really believing John was for real. With his brown pants and white undershirt he just looked so much like the stereotype of a sleazy inn's manager it was, well actually it was funny. But this wasn't the time to laugh in the guy's face, not when she needed his good will.

"The room's eighteen dollars a day. That's every day," John explained without even hinting at other methods of paying with something as small as a flick of the eye. That was the other reason Faith didn't laugh at him, he was innocent in a weird way.

"Yeah, I know. I'll get it to you by tomorrow, I swear." Because tonight, hopefully, she'd have some better luck with the vamps. Living off of whatever you could steal from the vampires you slayed was a tricky supposition, a lot of them didn't carry any cash. But she had no other options. None she was desperate enough to try right now anyway.

John sighed and scratched the back of his head. "It's not like I own the place."

Giving him a winning smile, Faith buttered him up, "But I bet you will someday."

"Not if I listen to broads like you." And that was the moment Buffy chose to enter her room.

"Hey, roommates are extra," John said but Faith barely heard it. She was more worried on how much Buffy had heard about her money-troubles.

"I'm just visiting," Buffy assured the manager without taking her eyes off of Faith.

'Something's wrong,' the Slayer concluded. She didn't know what, but her gut was telling her Buffy was on to her. That feeling only got stronger when Buffy made sure to close the door behind the manager after he'd made his exit.

Faith made sure to act casual. "So, what brings you to the poor side of town?"

Buffy didn't react, just went over to the nightstand next to the door, and lounged against. And her next words started a red alert in Faith's mind. "Cloven guy, goes by the name Kakistos."

Somewhere in the deepest recesses of her thoughts there was this little voice simply praying, 'not again.' The rest of Faith was fighting a losing battle to keep her cool. "What do you know about Kakistos?" she asked. 'Not again, not so soon.'

"That he's here," the blond simply said. But her next revelation was even worse. "That he killed your Watcher." Faith especially hated the way Buffy said it, like she understood it. Like she could remotely get how that was like with her perfect life and her perfect... Well, just with her perfect life.

Looking around, Faith finally found her bag. "You have no idea what he did," the brunette spat out as she quickly stuffed her meager belongings into the bag. "Or what I did," she said more to herself than Buffy. It helped to remind her Kakistos wasn't invulnerable. But it only settled her down a little.

"You're right, I don't know exactly what happened. But I know what's going to happen if you do this." The blond waved at her bag as she zipped it close. "Faith, you came here for a reason. Let me help you."

Lifting her bag, Faith gathered the now tattered remains of her confidence around her. "You can mind your own business. I'm handling this my way."

"Oh yeah, I see you're a real bad-ass when it comes to packing. And I guess you're going to leave me to clean up after you. But hey, that's no problem. After all, how bad can one vampire be?" The pure sarcasm in that voice kept Faith nailed to her spot by the bed. She should be getting out of here by now, not argue with Her Highness but she didn't want to let this go. Not like this.

"You have no idea what he is, what he does. There's no word for what he did to her, what he was going to do to me." Faith gritted her teeth as the memories tried to drag her down. "So don't come down here all high-and-mighty thinking you have any idea what I've been through. Just leave me alone!"

With those words Faith made her way to the door, but Buffy just had to have the last word. "Faith, you run, he runs after you."

"That's where the head start comes in handy," she quipped right before there's a knock on the door. Looking through the peephole, she sees that it's John again. "Oh, what now?" she complained as she opened the door.

But John wasn't the only one at the door. In fact, John was dead. His corpse was being held up by Kakistos himself. There were a couple of other vampires there too but Faith's vision was filled by Kakistos' scarred face.

She managed to take a step back as the tall vampire let go of John. Faith could barely hear him say her name. Not with fear singing in her ears with the screams of her Watcher. She wanted to move as far away from this demon as possible, but couldn't move a single muscle, not with panic freezing every single one of them.

'He's here, he's here, he's here, he's here,' her mind yammered. It left here completely incapable of avoiding Kakistos' grabbing hand as it closed around her throat, then lifted her from the floor. One hand finally listened to her, but it was still inexplicably weak as it futility pulled at the vampire's wrist.

'I'm going to die.' She didn't want to, but she knew she was going to. "No," Faith whimpered. And then the hand was gone, followed a second later by the sight of Kakistos flying down the walkway knocking the other vampires out of the way as he went.

"No way," Faith whispered at the impossible sight.

***

Buffy had learned a couple of things since coming to the Sunnydale Motor Inn. The first was that it was a complete dump. The second was that Faith had to pay for her stay, food, and everything else somehow and Buffy had no idea how she was managing that. Also, Faith wasn't managing that judging from her conversation with the manager.

But the third and most important thing was this, Kakistos had done horrible things to Faith's Watcher and it had left its mark on Faith. She was afraid, really afraid. And it was crippling her as a Slayer. Even if Kakistos didn't get her, some random vamp would soon.

All of this Buffy had learned even before Faith opened the door and found herself confronted with Kakistos. But seeing Faith reduced to a frightened child at the mere sight of the vampire cemented the last point. Buffy sprung into action only a moment after Kakistos had took a hold of Faith.

One strike broke that hold and before Pigboy had the chance to react, Buffy kicked him in the chest with every bit of strength she had. Seeing him fly down the walkway was immensely satisfying. The two minions he had with him were knocked down to. One to the floor, the other, a black one in an expensive suit, was knocked over the railing first before plummeting to the concrete.

Of course, the blond Aesir didn't need to hear Faith's amazed "No way" to know that the cat was really out of the bag now. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to make sure her power was still under control. No need to freak Faith out any more with glowing eye-Buffy.

Having made sure of that, Buffy turned around and looked Faith over. "You alright?" All she got was a stunned nod before an angry roar drew her attention back to Kakistos. Seeing how he rose up drove home how tall he was. Ugly too, the ragged cut above his milky-white right eye didn't help.

"You! Whoever you are, you won't stop me from killing Faith!" he roared as he started to walk back towards where they were.

"I'm Buffy." She thought of claiming that she was the Slayer but decided not to. "And I've been threatened by scarier things than you. But if it helps your fragile ego, they weren't uglier."

It apparently didn't because Kakistos just roared and picked up the pace. Buffy only stepped out of the room and then waited. Seeing him preparing to just shove her back into the room, Buffy couldn't help but smirk. She ducked under his arms, and then smacked her own hands into his belly putting a stop to his charge. Next, the blond took a hold of his cassock and swung him sideways through the railing.

A second later she heard the dull thud of a body hitting stone revealing she'd missed all the cars. 'Good, car alarms can be so annoying.'

"How the fuck did you do that?" Faith asked.

***

And that was the right question. Buffy had just handled Kakistos like he was nothing. Could the difference between two slayers really be that much? It seemed impossible, yet it had happened. Faith combed a shaking hand through her hair. It was shaking because she'd gone from scared out of her mind to completely stunned in moments.

"Come on, we better get down there before he runs away."

Looking at the blond like she'd gone insane, and given the insane thing she'd just said, that was only natural. "Are you crazy?!"

"Faith, you need to face him. I can beat him; you just saw that. But I'm not the one who needs to beat him." Buffy retrieved a stake from her coat and slammed it down into the vampire still lying on the floor. "Now take this stake and prove to yourself that he isn't a nightmare. He's just a vampire."

"I...I..." Her hand took the stake but Faith just looked at it like she had no idea what to do with it; not when it came to Kakistos.

Now Buffy gave her a smile. "I'll hold him down for you, if you think that'll help?" she proposed innocently.

And that finally snapped her out of her funk. "Hey, I'm not a baby. I know which end of the stake is supposed to go into the other guy."

The blond's smile turned dazzling. "Great! Let's go."

Faith followed but instead of going for the stairs, Buffy went to the hole in the wooden railing and seemed to be judging the height. Was she actually thinking of jumping down from there? She got her answer a second later when her fellow Slayer hopped down and landed on the hood of a parked car raising up from the crouch like she'd hopped off the sidewalk.

On the street, Kakistos was slowly getting up now but the sight, instead of producing a fresh stab of fear, it actually elicited excitement. 'The prey is weakened,' her instinct seemed to whisper to her. 'Go in for the kill. Now's your chance.'

"Now's my chance," Faith whispered. She looked down, then she took Buffy's lead and jumped; also landing on the same hood.

Buffy, meanwhile, was busy fighting some of Kakistos' underlings. She wasn't sending them flying this time, but the blond was handling them just as easily. One of them got dusted right as Faith straightened out. Focusing her attention back on Kakistos she noticed her window of opportunity was almost gone.

With a wordless cry Faith ran over the roof of the car and jump-kicked with both feet to give Kakistos a face-full of her boots. She managed to get her legs tucked back under her before she hit the ground, so while the bane of her existence was still staggering back, the brunette was already following up her attack.

With another yell the brunette drove the stake home only to lose her grip on it almost right away from the jarring impact. 'It's like I was trying to stake a block of steel,' Faith thought as she worked her tingling fingers.

"Looks like you need a bigger stake, Slayer," Kakistos taunted before backhanding her against the car. 'He's right, and there's nothing here I could use!' Fear started to worm its way back, twisting her stomach into knots.

"What is it with guys and their obsession with size?" Buffy wondered as she appeared from between the parked cars. "Are we compensating for something?" the blond wondered acting as if she was giving that question some serious thought.

With Kakistos distracted and help here, Faith found her courage again and an opening. A kick in his belly only got a grunt out of the towering vampire, Buffy's punch in the same area had him doubled over.

"Faith, we've got to hammer that stake home somehow!"

She knew that, but what were they going to... In a flash, Faith knew just what to do. In her hurry to carry out her plan she even forgot to tell Buffy what it was. Or that she had one. Getting almost besides Kakistos as he was still straightening out, she hooked one leg behind his than trapped that leg with the other while pulling hard on his shoulder.

There was a moment where Faith feared it wasn't enough to topple the giant, but then his leg gave way and he started to fall forward. 'Let's hope there's enough force there.' Maybe there wasn't, but that didn't matter because Buffy obviously had grasped what Faith's plan was and had reacted quickly.

Grabbing Kakistos' other shoulder she gave it a heave as well to send the vampire smacking into the asphalt, stake-first. The downside, as far as Faith was concerned, was that she landed just as hard. Pain coursed down her bruised arm, begging her to roll over but Faith stayed right where she was. She wanted to see if it had worked.

And for an eternity, it looked like it hadn't. Kakistos roared as his one functioning eye focused on Faith again, his hand already reaching for her when it became brown and grainy just like the rest of him. With a fading scream, her nightmare turned to dust right in front of her leaving Faith to gag on his remains.

"Oh, ack, gross," Faith complained as she finally relieved her sore arm by getting up. She looked down at where Kakistos had been, a part of her still not believing it was over. That it had been that easy, after all.

"Hungry?" Buffy finally asked after what might have been a minute consisting of her staring at the spot Kakistos had been with Buffy eying her in return.

Feeling grateful Buffy wasn't going to pry any further right now, Faith nodded without looking at her. Her eyes still fixed at the pile of dust that had been the oldest vampire alive. "Starving."

***

Trick didn't even consider avenging his ex-employer as he slunk away. After all, that same employer had just illustrated quite nicely why vengeance crusades had gone out of style. The risk-reward balance showed a lot of risk for little reward.

No, he was a modern vampire who had an eye for the big picture. And that big picture was that there now was a vampire organization of considerable wealth and resources that had just lost its leader. Trick already knew he was never going to be able to hold it all together, but that was fine too.

'Like I tried to tell Kakistos. Stay local, live global.'

**Sunnydale, Happy Burger**

Buffy hadn't tried to start a conversation yet, and that was just fine with Faith. She was too busy eating to do a lot of talking herself anyway, and she had absolutely no desire to hear Buffy tell her that it wasn't her fault. That she shouldn't feel guilty about the fact her Watcher had died before her eyes and the only thing Faith had done was run. Because Faith knew it wasn't right, she knew she'd failed.

They were polishing off their extra helping of fries when Buffy couldn't keep quiet anymore. "You know," the blond started and Faith braced herself for the pity. But the blond went silent again and gave her a hard look.

She seemed to be debating something with herself, and then nodded as if she'd come to some decision. "You know," she began again. "Giles isn't my first Watcher."

"He isn't?" Faith thought back now and realized her Watcher hadn't told her much about Buffy's Slayer career from before Sunnydale. Just something about a fight with this master vampire called Lothos and that was it.

Buffy shook her head. "No, I only met him after I moved to Sunnydale. I still lived in LA when I found out about, " she made some vague hand gestures, "all this."

The blond's eyes unfocused for a moment, then snapped back into the present. "His name was Merrick and," now a fond smile crossed her features, "he was dressed so weird and was talking about destinies and vampires first time we met. Naturally, I didn't want to have anything to do with a weirdo like that. Didn't even believe him really when he started talking about my dreams. But I changed my mind after he threw a dagger at me."

"Wait, hold on a sec. You're first Watcher tried to kill you? Just like that?" Faith looked suspiciously at the blond, half-convinced she was trying to pull a fast one on her.

Now Buffy chuckled. "I caught it, so it was no big. He just wanted to prove to me I wasn't your average girl anymore and it got my attention. I was sold after seeing my first vampire. Of course, Merrick wasn't really happy with how I dusted him."

"It can't have been too bad, you're alive."

"I tripped and fell, then the vampire tripped over me. I just happened to be holding my stake in front of me," Buffy illustrated the story by holding her right arm in front of her like she was holding a stake in front of her with the point pointed away from her.

"Lucky," Faith snorted.

And Buffy nodded in agreement. "I was and Merrick always made sure to point out all my mistakes; to remind me of my destiny. He wasn't happy about my addition of music to his training methods either." It all sounded more like Buffy should be glad the guy was gone, but she sported this fond smile as she said all that indicating there was more to the story.

And it was coming now, if the sadness in the blond's eyes were any indication. "There was this vampire, Lothos. Merrick told me I wasn't ready for him, but I didn't listen. So when I came face-to-face with Lothos, I got my butt kicked. If Merrick hadn't stepped in... I would have died."

Neither of them said anything as Buffy seemed lost in memory. "I-He... Lothos had taken my stake and that's what he used to kill my Watcher, right in front of me. Merrick, he said I did everything wrong." Her eyes shone bright with held back tears but now she started to smile again. "And that I should keep doing that. Not play by their rules."

Buffy took a long drink of her soda before finishing the story. "Lothos just left us there after that all overconfident and boasting like bad guys like to do." Now her fellow Slayer's smile turned downright bloodthirsty. "That was his last mistake, though."

Faith finally popped the fry in her mouth that she'd been holding all this time, grimacing a little at how cold it now was. She had no idea what to say to all this. Buffy, however, still had a few more things to say. "I've never told my friends this. Giles might know a bit of the story, but I'd be surprised if it was even half of it."

Now her eyes bored into Faith's. "So, yes, I do know what it's like to see your Watcher getting killed right in front of you. To know he died because you weren't fast enough, not smart enough, not strong enough... Because I wasn't good enough," Buffy finished in a soft voice that sent a shiver down Faith's spine.

They stared at each other and Faith felt like she was balancing on a knife's edge. Could she, should she? Did she have any right to... "I called her DD. She hated it; she was always so prim and proper. It's short for Diana Dormer." The words just tumbled out with no sign of stopping. There wasn't a lot of order or coherence to it either, but Faith couldn't care less right now.

Because it felt good to recall Diana's life, at last, rather than her death.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	7. Chapter 7

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**Bleep That  
**

**Sunnydale High**

"Well, the Council has approved our request," Giles announced as he came out of his office. "Faith is to stay here indefinitely. I'm to look after you both until a new Watcher is assigned." It was still early so Xander wasn't here, too busy squeezing in a few more minutes of home-repair and if Xander wasn't here, Cordelia of course felt no need to be here either.

So only Willow, her boyfriend, and Buffy were there to hear the news. And it was to the latter that Giles now directed his question. "I am, however, somewhat mystified as to your motivation for this. It will be exceedingly hard to keep our secrets the longer Faith remains here."

"You weren't there, Giles. She's made progress, slaying Kakistos helped a lot, but leaving her on her own right now isn't what she needs. And I don't trust the Council to have a lot of interest in her well being, so that leaves us."

"That still leaves the question on how we prevent her from finding out what we are," Giles pointed out.

"We don't," Buffy simply said.

"What do you mean, we don't?" Willow asked, then her eyes widened. "You mean we tell her."

The blonde Aesir just shrugged as she half-turned so she could address Willow and Giles both. "Yep, we tell her. I already dropped several clues I was more than a Slayer just fighting Kakistos. I didn't mean to," she hastened to add. "But it happened and we can't hold back when the next big bad comes along just because we're scared Faith will find out. It's not worth people's lives."

"Yeah, but what if she tells the Council and they come and try to take you back to England so they can pick and prod at you and strap you to operating tables so..." Willow took a deep breath as Oz laid a calming hand on her arm. "Sorry, I'm just imaging the worst case there and... It's really bad."

Giles frowned as he tried to follow the redhead's logic. "Hmmm, but it would also be unlikely. Faith's sole means of contacting the Council is me and I obviously have no inclination to tattle on us."

Buffy's face scrunched up now. "Okay, that sounded dirty. You won't what us?"

Giles opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about when he realized what it was and instead he just sighed. "It means to gossip. Honestly, Buffy, it's a perfectly appropriate word."

"Uhu, maybe across the pond it is but here we bleep that stuff on TV."

Not wanting to get any further with that, Giles got back on topic. "Regardless, the Council won't find out we're Aesir from Faith and you make a strong argument. But this isn't just our decision, it's Xander's as well," he reminded her.

His charge was already nodding. "And I told Faith to come to the library after school so we got enough time to talk to him about this. And to figure out how we're going to break the news to her," Buffy finished obviously certain of the final decision.

Faith strode into the library to find the whole gang waiting for her. There was even a new addition, some adult Faith fingered as a teacher standing next to Giles. The rest was sitting around the table and she decided to follow their example. "So, what's the verdict?" she asked as she flung herself into a chair next to Oz and across from Buffy.

"Ah, Faith. This is Jenny," a flustered Giles corrected himself, "I mean Ms. Calendar. She is another member of our, uhm, group. She is also a member of the faculty."

"Yo." What more was there to say?

Nobody said anything after the teacher's "Nice to meet you" for a few seconds, then Buffy gave her Watcher an impatient look. "Well, I spoke with the Council and they've agreed to let you stay here and let me act as your Watcher until they've found someone to, ah, take over."

"Okay," the brunette said slowly. "That's... nice. But why did ya have the Avengers assemble just for that little announcement?"

It was obvious the reference flew straight over Giles' head but he forged ahead anyway. "Given that you will stay here, for the foreseeable future at least, there's something we must disclose to you. I-I'm not exactly sure where to begin with this..." And then he fell quiet, apparently mulling over how to approach whatever he wanted to explain.

Buffy took over when Giles showed no sign he was ready to resume his explanation. Standing up she held her hand up and the next thing she was holding a big-ass war hammer in her hand. "Faith, meet Mjöllnir."

The name sounded real familiar... "Holy shit!" Faith gave the blonde a wide-eyed look. She knew her comics and the surprise was enough to make her forget to act like she wasn't the comic geek that she was. "You got Thor's hammer?"

"How do you know that?" A frowning Buffy asked.

"I..." and there she shut up, not wanting to actually say she got it out of a comic. "I read it somewhere." Surprise wearing off, the Slayer realized a more likely scenario than comics becoming real life. "Are you shitting me?"

Buffy smiled and shook her head. "Nope. Me and my friends found these weapons about, oh, a year ago." Learning that her friends had something like that hammer, Faith looked at them trying to figure out what they had.

Xander turned into a silver figure that looked like the Silver Surfer, if he didn't have a mouth and wasn't bald. Willow returned her scrutiny with a wave of one of her braids, the lock of hair moving on its own. Giles was less spectacular, his cane just turned into a spear and then back into a walking aid.

"Holy shit." Faith returned her attention to Buffy. "You're actually the God of Thunder now? With the flying and being stronger than Superman and hurling lighting bolts?"

Buffy's hammer vanished and Faith now noticed the pendant hanging around the blonde's neck. Said blonde retook her seat before answering, "I didn't turn into the comic book character so no to the strength." She hesitated for a moment, then went on. "We got turned into Aesir and... and when that happened I stopped being a Slayer."

The Slayer blinked, but didn't know what to say to that. Luckily, Buffy had more to say. "We didn't tell you right away 'cause we don't want the Council to know. Giles thinks they might try and take out weapons away from us and... I wouldn't let them," Buffy finished with a hard look in her eyes.

"And now you want me to promise I won't tell," Faith added for her. She didn't need Buffy's nod to know she was right; nor did she have to think on her answer for long. "Okay, they won't hear from me," Faith said with a shrug.

"Thanks." Buffy's smile of relief showed she hadn't been sure of Faith's answer.

"No problem. Now, you denied having the strength but I noticed you didn't say anything about flying. So is that a yes to the flight part?" the brunette wheedled.

'I knew she had weird friends, but I had no idea just how weird they were,' Faith thought to herself as she left the library. Buffy's powers had been the least of her surprise, she was familiar with Thor's fictional abilities after all and the blonde's powers didn't differ all that much. The rest of them, however, were apparently superheroes in their own right.

'So now you're not that special anymore,' a nasty little voice whispered to her. 'But I got more unique too, there ain't two Slayers, it's just me,' she countered. And anyway, Batman didn't have any powers at all, but he was still badass.

She was already walking out of the school when Buffy caught up with her. "Hey, B. Want to start early with patrolling?"

"Hey, B. Want to start early with patrolling?" Faith asked her.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something else," Buffy stalled. She had waited with asking this because she knew Faith might get a little embarrassed if the others heard the discussion she knew was coming. In fact, Buffy was pretty sure Faith didn't want to talk about this with her either but someone had to. "It's about where you're going to stay now that you'll be here for a while."

Faith frowned. "What do you mean? I don't recall getting kicked out of the motel."

"I overheard the manager, Faith. Eighteen dollars a day and you don't have a job or family supporting you." As far as arguments went it was weak tea, but Buffy wanted to ease into this discussion. It had been Mjöllnir who had pointed out Faith couldn't stay where she was. That she needed a place where vampires couldn't barge in without an invitation, a place she didn't need to be on her guard all the time and sleep with one eye open.

"You'd be surprised how much cash vamps carry around. And it's not like they need it. So lay off, B. I'll manage," the brunette finished in a tone that signaled she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Buffy ignored it as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Good for you, but you still can't stay there. You might have noticed last night that it's not exactly vampire-proof and this is the Hellmouth. I'm not asking you to leave that place, I'm telling you."

"Oh," Faith said narrowing her eyes. "And just where am I supposed to go, or did your blondness not think about that?"

"You can go to Giles' place or you can stay with me and my Mom. I already talked about it with her and she's on board with that."

"Your place or Giles'?" Faith asked with a frown.

Buffy nodded. "It has to be a place vampires can't just waltz into, so that means a home. And it has to be with people that are in the know, which eliminates my friends since their families don't know about the supernatural. Even Willow's parents would notice a houseguest, eventually." She wasn't about to mention Xander's new place. For starters, Cordelia would not be pleased hearing her boyfriend was shacking up with a girl. "Of course, I'm not sure Giles has a guest-room and he, huh, spends a lot of time with Miss Calendar but, uhm, I'm sure he'll let you stay with him if you don't want to stay with me."

The brunette expression had turned unsure now. "You didn't tell your friends about doing this?"

"No, I thought you wanted to keep this as private as possible."

"Listen, B, your mom is nice and all but I can take care of myself. I don't need charity." Faith's voice gained some heat again at the end.

The Aesir just shrugged. "Fine, if you want you can haggle about rent with my Mom. Don't know if she'll go for it but you can try."

Faith opened her mouth, and then closed it again without actually saying a word.

Seeing the Slayer hesitation, Buffy upped the ante. "You'd be doing me a huge favor too. This isn't exactly the safest place on Earth and with you living with us my Mom would be a lot safer. Please?" Buffy added when Faith still didn't say anything. She even pouted just a little.

Hanging her head, Faith mumbled, "Fine, I'll stay at your place."

"Great!" Buffy beamed.

**Revello Drive 1630**

Faith still wasn't sure about all this as she lowered her bag to the floor of what was now her room. The only thing in it, besides carton boxes that lined several walls and obstructed access to one wall-closet, was a folded-out bed.

"I know there's still a lot of clutter here, but we have to clear some room in the attic first before we can put them there," Mrs. Summers remarked from the doorway.

Turning around, Faith raised a hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's fine like this, Mrs. S. If you get rid of the boxes too it would get kinda empty so don't bother, really."

"Oh, well, I was actually planning on taking you shopping tomorrow for some furnishings. Like a proper bed, nightstand, a vanity, some posters to liven things up."

"You really don't have to do all that," the brunette hastened to assure the older woman. "I mean, that's got to be expensive and I'm not even paying rent."

Mrs. Summers cut her off there. "Faith, we've been over this."

The Slayer couldn't help but sigh at that reminder. 'I am turning into such a wimp. First I cave to Buffy just 'cause of a pout and now I can't even argue with her mom.' She shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. But just helping out a bit around the house isn't worth all that."

Buffy's mother didn't respond to that right away, she just looked at Faith for a moment or two. "I disagree." Then she changed the subject. "Now, I'll have dinner ready early because I know Buffy wants to give you a tour of Sunnydale's cemeteries. How's your cooking?"

"Edible."

"Hmmm, alright then, you can help me out in the kitchen. Don't tell Buffy I said so, but cooking is not one of her strengths. She tries hard but she's even managed to mess up boiling water. Now, I'll leave you alone to unpack. Come down when you're ready."

With those words Mrs. Summers went downstairs leaving Faith alone. She took another hard look at her surroundings, and in the privacy of her own mind she had to admit, this was better than the motel room. Faith, however, had no intention of admitting that out loud. Ever. 'Now let's hope this time I can actually hold onto that resolve.'

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	8. Chapter 8

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**A Learning Experience**

**Revello Drive 1630**

Buffy yawned as she shuffled back to her room after answering nature's call. It was a Saturday morning after all, and that entitled her to a few extra hours of drowsing in her bed and that was exactly what she was going to do.

She'd just finished her yawn when an unexpected voice greeted her. "Hey, B." The blonde blinked owlishly at Faith, having temporarily forgotten that they had a new addition to the household. The brunette, meanwhile, was looking a little lower before grinning mischievously at her. "I knew you couldn't be so goody-goody as you were acting! Nice tat, can I see the rest?"

Her hands flew to her jammies and pulled them closer to cover what Faith had obviously already seen. "No! And this wasn't my idea," Buffy retorted as her face reddened.

Faith's nod was way too understanding. "Gotcha. Had it done when you were drunk as a skunk. But my point stands, B. You do know how to have fun."

"I did not get drunk and it's not a real tattoo!"

"Could've fooled me."

"For your information, it's actually a weapon like Mjöllnir. It decided to hitchhike like this when I found it in the desert and there's nothing I can do about it until it finds a wielder. So it's not really a tattoo... And I do know how to have fun," Buffy finished aggrieved.

Faith didn't respond, instead she was looking past the blonde at something behind her. Buffy froze when she heard her Mom's voice behind her. "What's this about a tattoo?"

Turning around, Buffy gave her mother a winning smile and started talking. While making sure her jammies covered the damn not-tattoo.

**Sunnydale High**

It wasn't easy working on your hitting speed while taking care not to punch the wooden training dummy too hard. The last was a good idea because Giles had started a policy of 'you break it, you repair it' a few months ago and Xander was doing enough handiwork around his own home, thank you very much.

'Where are they? Buffy said they would be here half an hour ago?'

He'd barely finished that thought when the library's doors swung open and Buffy stalked inside with Faith following on her heel. "I said I was sorry," the brunette said. "But how should I know your Mom didn't know about the tattoo? I didn't even know about it until I saw it!"

Buffy turned around to address Faith. "But did you have to ask so loudly?"

"I was surprised!"

"Hey," Xander greeted them as Giles popped his head out of his office to see what the commotion was. "What's this about?"

"Miss "Don't-worry-I'll-never-tell" over here blew the whistle about my hitchhiker," Buffy explained.

"I'm not a snitch! I just saw it and I was surprised. And I've been telling Grumpy over here that I was sorry since this morning! It's not like you got in any real trouble," Faith muttered.

"Okay," Xander said slowly. "Well, as long as you didn't get in trouble I don't really see the harm either," he admitted.

"That's not the point," Buffy complained. "I was hoping Mom wouldn't find out at all." Seeing Xander's frown she got a bit defensive. "It could have worked."

"But it didn't," Giles corrected her slowly. "However, I gather things worked out so I suggest we begin with training."

"Sounds great; I'm so going to kick your ass, B."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "Don't think attacking the audience is a good tactic," she informed Faith.

"Huh?"

Xander raised his hand to draw her attention to him. "I'll be your opponent for today. At least at first, after that we'll get a chance to gang up on the Buffster." He gave her an easy smile but she didn't return it.

Faith just looked unsure, then simply shrugged removing her jacket in the same gesture. "Whatever."

***

'Motherfucker,' Faith cursed as she hopped to the side a moment too late to evade Xander's left hook from tapping her side. She wasn't cursing because it hurt, they were both pulling their punches, but because she was getting her ass handed to her by one of Buffy's sidekicks.

'No, no, be fair. You're getting in your own share too, you're just mad he isn't the pushover you expected him to be.' And that was stupid too, she'd been told they all had powers. She should've known she wasn't facing a normal person, but a part of her had apparently still expected this little training session to go her way just because she was the Slayer.

Which meant jack shit against her current opponent who was just as fast and strong as her. So it came down to skill and as far as Faith could tell, she actually had a bit more of that than Xander. He was sticking to the basics without even attempting any fancy moves. Until today, Faith would have sworn that would be enough. But having gone a few rounds with Xander had exposed just how much she was relying on her power to compliment that skill.

'Way too much, but I'm getting better,' she thought as she pulled Xander out of balance so that she could sweep his legs out from under him. Letting go, she smirked at the boy but only for a second. Because he took a hold of her arms now and was pulling her down with him. Faith landed on her opponent with an "Ooph!" and didn't move off of him right away, instead she just lay there to get her breathing back under control.

"Good one," she admitted reluctantly as she finally got back up.

"Thanks, but I was actually trying to stay up," he admitted sheepishly.

Faith gaped, than chuckled. "Ya still got me."

"But not before you got me, so that was a draw."

She nodded in agreement. "Up for another round?"

Xander glanced over at Buffy who was tapping the table with her fingers and then shook his head. "Nah, I think Buffy's getting a tad impatient, so I think it's time she joins the fun."

The blonde was already up before Xander was finished. "Great idea!"

"But not in here," Giles said from the office. "There isn't enough room, so you better take it outside. And do be careful, Snyder has been grumbling about students hanging around school on weekends."

***

Snyder, it turned out, wasn't patrolling the school looking for people that had no business there after all. So Faith, Buffy, and Xander resumed their sparring under the open sky. The air was noticeably cooler than when Faith had walked into the school, though the sun wasn't even near the horizon just yet.

Not that it really mattered, the training kept Faith more than warm as she struggled to put any kind of real pressure on Buffy; because if fighting Xander was a wake-up call, facing Buffy was downright humbling. The blonde's movements could best be called dancing and it was clear she was actually faster and stronger than either of her opponents. 'Doesn't help I'm not used to fighting as a team,' Faith critiqued.

The next few moments illustrated that thought nicely. Xander was coming in from Buffy's left unleashing a combo of jabs and punches but Faith had to wait until he actually did that before she could think of taking advantage of the distraction. It was that or risking that they got into each other's way since if they warned the other, Buffy would find out too.

But by the time Faith had figured out what Xander's move was and came at Buffy herself, the blonde Aesir had figured it out too. Catching Xander's fist she swung him sideways into Faith's path who barely managed to stop so he missed her. And with that her window of opportunity was closed as Xander was stumbling away as he tried to get his balance back and Buffy was now waiting for Faith.

It didn't stop her from making her charge though. Deciding to go for broke Faith went for a jumpkick. Buffy might be stronger than a Slayer now, she still weighed the same which meant Faith could still knock her down. That is, if Buffy didn't catch the kick and used it to drag her, if this was serious it would be slam but thankfully it wasn't, onto the grass.

"Making sure I couldn't finish off Xander is of the good, but trying a stunt like this without backup isn't," Buffy said as she helped Faith get back up.

"Yeah, well, I was hoping you would be too surprised to react." She shrugged. "Didn't work so well this time."

Buffy's expression only got more intense. "Which is fine since it's training. But when it's for real it only has to go wrong one time... Do you know the first rule of slaying?"

Faith frowned. "Uhm, I don't recall there being any rules in the Slayer-handbook."

The blonde's expression went from stern to dismayed. "You got the handbook too! That's so unfair, why am I the only one that doesn't get the handbook?"

Puzzled now, Faith just shrugged noncommittally. "Don't see what all the fuss is about, it's boring really. I never got far with it. So, what's the first rule of slaying?" She finished hoping to distract the blonde.

It worked too. "Rule number one is: Don't die," Buffy said in all seriousness.

The brunette blinked, opened her mouth, and then thought better as she mulled over those two words a bit longer. "Don't die, huh?"

Buffy nodded. "It seems obvious, but I think it's something to keep in mind when things get hairy. Do or die might sound great but you can't do anything after your dead."

"Point," Faith concurred as she couldn't help but smile. "Hard to do someone when you're dead."

That of course sent Buffy spluttering which only made Faith smile more. The blonde might be a great fighter, she was damn easy to tease. And such fun too! From the corner of her eyes she saw Xander had heard the quip as well and he too was getting a bit red in the face.

"Alright, enough talk, let's go do..." Faith trailed off just long enough to get suggestive, "something else. This time, I'll be the one to take the two of you on."

**Restfield Cemetery**

Buffy pointed at an empty plot. "And that is where I got buried alive and turned into a vampire when all of our nightmares were turned into reality. I think that just about ends our tour of Sunnydale." Buffy went over the list again in her head to check. They'd done the docks and the outer cemeteries yesterday, the warehouse-district including the Bronze the night before that and the rest of the cemeteries they'd just finished tonight so what did that leave... 'Dang, forgot Willy's. Oh well, I'm sure something will come up that brings us there in no time.'

"Wild place you got here," Faith commented. "Hey, you ever caught some kids doing the diddy out here?"

"No. There's a smooch spot up by the woods," she waved in its general direction. "That's usually where the kids go."

"Yeah? Go there often, B?"

Buffy looked over at Faith and saw her grin. "Ah, no. My going there was strictly professional. Werewolf Oz tried to maul some kids there before he knew he was a werewolf."

"Oh come on B, your telling me you never got any itch that needs scratching? Or maybe you didn't need to leave the cemetery for that. Xander must have come in handy, he looks like he could be fun anyway."

Buffy gaped at Faith for a few moments before she realized she hadn't actually gotten around to verbally respond. "No! I mean, well, actually I mean just that. No."

Faith looked skeptical. "You mean never, not once after some sweaty-night, side-by-side action put in for a little after-hours *UNGH*?" The grunt was accompanied by a hip-thrust and an equally suggestive pistoning of her left arm. Seeing Buffy's expression the brunette hastened to add, "Before he had a girlfriend, of course. I'm not saying you'd cheat with someone."

She managed to bite off her first, sarcastic response. "I've never thought of Xander like that, Faith. I love him, I do. I just don't love him like that."

The Slayer nodded before suddenly stopping and giving Buffy a scrutinizing look. "Should I have said Willow instead? Hey, you can tell me if that the case. I won't judge."

Buffy felt her face heat up now and she decided to cut this fishing expedition short. "Again, no. I have never... done it with any of my friends. For one, I think it ruins the friendship and then there's the little matter of me already having a boyfriend."

"You do? Why haven't I met your boytoy yet?"

She couldn't help but smile at that description of Angel even as a feeling of melancholy welled up inside of her. He'd been gone for so long now. "His name is Angel, and he's been out of the country for... almost a year now." Faith's expression asked for a clarification and Buffy gave it to her. "Long story short, some vampires were trying to assemble this really powerful demon when we managed to get our hands on one of the... parts."

And wasn't that a clinical name to describe a severed arm that was still moving on its own. "Anyway, Angel volunteered to hide the arm someplace in Asia and that's the last I saw of him. It was my birthday party too."

"Uhm, shouldn't he be back by now? I mean, one plane ride and a few hours later you're in China or wherever."

"He couldn't use a plane," Buffy stalled as she tried to figure out how to explain Angel's situation. "On the account of him being a vampire. He's got a soul though," Buffy quickly assured the brunette. "Got cursed by gypsies so now he's one of the good guys."

Faith digested that bit of information for a few seconds and then gave Buffy a leer. "So you're boinking a vampire, huh? Kinky, kinky, B. Didn't know you had it in you."

The blonde finally snapped. "I'm not boinking him or anybody, Faith. Not all of us are as obsessed with sex." Buffy took a deep breath to calm down. Faith's comment about boinking had touched a nerve, she was still worrying about her own problems with Angel's vampireness, and the comment had reminded her of that.

The Slayer's expression went blank followed by surprise. "Holy shit, you're a virgin."

"So what if I am?"

"Nothing," Faith said just a little too quickly. "Absolutely nothing, I was just surprised. Didn't expect that."

Buffy eyed Faith but she was looking away, scanning for vampires. The blonde considered explaining she and Angel had been hitting a rough spot in their relationship before he had to leave. In fact, she was already opening her mouth to do so when Faith pointed over to where she'd been looking. "I think we got something there."

Looking over to where she spotted, Buffy had no problem discerning two vampires ambling through the cemetery. "I see them, there's two I can see but..." She stopped when she noticed Faith wasn't at her side anymore but running full tilt at the demons.

"They might have friends," she finished with a sigh before following Faith. She wasn't actually worried about that, but caution was a life-saving habit to have. 'Obviously something we need to work on some more.'

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	9. Chapter 9

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**Homecoming Dance**

**Sunnydale High, Library**

Buffy gazed morosely at the two blue slips of paper in her hand as she waited for Faith to arrive for their afternoon training. She'd already slipped into her fitness-outfit, put the mats on the floor and the notice to keep out in front of the doors. So when the sound of those doors swinging open reached her eyes she didn't bother to look up, Buffy already knew who it was.

"Hey, why the long face?" Faith asked as she sat down on the table. Buffy did her best to school her face as she put her tickets back in her bag, but that action only called attention to the pieces of paper. "Are those tix for the Homecoming dance?"

"Yes," the blond sighed. Seeing Faith's interested look, Buffy knew she had to explain further. "I bought them a while ago, I was... I sort of thought that if I had the tickets already Angel would get back in time to take me to the dance," the Aesir shrugged. "It's silly, I know."

_"There's nothing silly about hope,"_ Mjöllnir lectured. _"We both know you didn't actually believe that having those tickets would magically summon Angel."_

Faith's commentary dovetailed the war hammer's. "Not silly. I'd be worried too if my boytoy was off doing an Indiana Jones gig for almost a year."

"He's not my boytoy, Faith. And splurging money on this when I wasn't even sure I would go was silly. Don't get me wrong, pitching in for the limo wasn't a waste since my friends will still enjoy that and I suppose I could wear the dress for the Prom but the tickets itself..."

When Faith didn't respond Buffy looked up just in time to see the brunette hide an expression of uncertainty. But it was gone as soon as the Slayer realized the blond was looking at her. Replacing it was Faith's customary look of cocky exuberance. "Tell you what, why don't we go to the dance together?"

"Together?"

"Yeah," Faith said before hopping of the table. "What you need is some fun, have a good time. I'm sure we can rustle up some hunks once we get there."

Now Buffy frowned. "And what exactly did you have in mind for these, uh, hunks?"

Faith smiled. "Relax, B. I wasn't going to suggest anything naughty. Just 'cause you're attached doesn't mean you can't dance with a nice stud and flirt a little. Hey, how would your Mom react if I brought someone home..." She trailed off as Buffy gave her a classical "How do you think she would react" look. "That's what I thought. But hey, no big, I can make my own fun."

Buffy's cheeks reddened as the connotations of that hit her, but she knew better now than to comment on Faith's innuendo. Okay, she knew better most of the time. Usually.

"So, what do say B?" Faith leaned forward. "Is it a date?"

"Date?" Buffy choked.

The brunette threw her hands up at Buffy's reaction and backed off a little. "Jeez, chill. I was just joking. No dates will be had."

"Uh, right, yeah. Sorry about the overreaction, I was just... Never mind. I'm, I'm not sure," Buffy finished slowly. Going to a party did sound attractive, especially when she'd already paid for admittance. "Why the heck not, I already paid for the limo and everything anyway." Her smile turned impish. "And it means I get the chance to see you in a dress."

That comment turned Faith's expression sour. "Shit."

"Didn't think about that, did you," Buffy said with very little compassion and more than a little humor.

**Trick's house**

The place wasn't actually his, but the owners weren't in any position to argue about it and its tasteful yet expensive furnishings set just the right tone for this little event. 'Not to mention how it cuts down on the overhead for this project,' Trick happily mused as he faced the group standing around the table.

"Competition," he began. "Competition is a beautiful thing. It makes us strive. It... makes us accomplish. Occasionally, it makes us kill. We all have the desire to win." He was getting a little fired up from this speech himself, so Trick started to walk around the group.

"Whether we're human," Mr. Trick said as he gestured at the human-contingent. Funnily enough, they actually outnumbered the demons in the room. He hadn't expected that, since Slayers were more infamous among demons than their own kind. Then again, a lot of demons didn't have enough money to enter this competition.

"Vampire." He nodded to the only person in the room he actually knew, wondering all the while why he'd come in the first place. He'd told Jean Debry about this event thinking he would know some people who would be interested, not sign up himself. Jean was like him, a businessman. Not a thrill-seeker or a warrior or what-have-you. So why was he here?

But now was not the time to ask, so he passed Jean and continued. "And whatever the hell you are, my brother. You got them spiny-looking head things. I ain't never seen that before."

The demon was constantly angling his head about, like a bird, but slower. When Trick mentioned the head things he growled, yet when he actually spoke there was no hint of anger in his voice. "I am Kulak, of the Miquot clan."

Trick digested that uninformative answer for a second before shrugging off his curiosity. The demon had paid, and that was the really important thing. "Isn't that nice." The black vampire resumed his round around the table. "Point is, you're all here for the same reason. To compete against some of nature's finest," he stopped and grinned, "predators."

Looking around, he noticed most were excited with a few exceptions. The twins were as stoic as ever, and why shouldn't they be? To them, this was a job. They'd been hired by the old man in the wheelchair to be his proxies in this competition. Jean Debry, however, seemed to be amused. 'Oh, I definitely need to have a talk with him.'

Mr. Trick resumed talking on a more serious note. "The games will begin in a few days time. The first target," he said as he opened the file folder lying on the table and tapped the girl on the right on the photo, "Buffy, is the more experienced of the two. The second," and now he indicated the girl walking besides the blond, "Faith, is... feisty. Both of them will give you gentlemen a challenge but they will be ready for the killing, and that is a money-back guarantee."

'Of course, that don't mean I won't argue and lawyer about what exactly I just guaranteed,' Trick mused as he sucked on his lollipop. 'And that's assuming they'll be alive to complain.'

"Gentlemen, spiny-headed looking creatures, welcome to Slayerfest '98!"

Trick took a seat besides Jean as the other the contestants were busy with target practice, wrestling or just testing their equipment, all but Jean, who was just sitting there. "Don't you have any preparing to do before the main event?"

His fellow vampire gave him a look, and then glanced at the others in the room as if to make sure they were indeed distracted. "I already did them. And I don't want to give my, ah, competitors the chance to see what I will be using. I want it to be a surprise, for them and the Slayers."

"Yeah, about that. Why are you here? I didn't figure you for the Slayer-hunting type." They'd known each other for a century or thereabout and that's enough time to peg someone. And Trick had Debry pegged as a businessman.

Debry shrugged. "I'm not. Like our silent duo, I am being paid to do this."

Now Trick was frowning. "Then why is your employer not here to watch the show? Or will he be coming by later?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Jean chuckled. "A warlock I know is footing my entrance fee in exchange for certain Slayer-parts. I get to keep the rest and I already have buyers lined up for their blood. Not every vampire is willing to risk death just for some of the best blood on the planet, but some are willing to risk their wallet," he finished with a smile.

Trick sucked on his lollipop as he thought furiously. 'Is there a way I can get myself cut into that deal?' It was with some disappointment that he concluded that there was no way. Not without antagonizing Jean, which could cost him a lot more in the long run than Trick could possibly earn double-crossing Debry right now.

"I did not know that," was what he finally settled on. "Guess I'll have to rethink the rules for next year's Slayerfest." Of course that was predicated on the success of this year, but Trick wasn't too worried about that. Since according to his account statement, it already was.

**Revello Drive 1630**

Giving herself a pleased nod in the mirror, Faith opened the door and stepped out of her room. Buffy was already waiting for her in hallway, in her dress. Looking her over, the brunette decided not to comment on the fact that it hid her tat. "Looking good there, B."

"Thanks, uh, you too."

"Of course I do, I look good in anything." Ignoring Buffy's skeptical "uhuh" she extended an arm towards the stairs. "Ladies first."

"Why thank you," Buffy said before taking her up on the offer giving Faith a clear view of the Aesir's back. And where the blond's dress had been downright conservative from the front, it made a serious effort to make up for that on the other side. It wasn't so much, or perhaps that should be so little, that it became slutty or anything, but Faith still found her eyes drawn to the girl's back.

'Hot damn, should have said fine,' Faith amended as her eyes traced their way down. Then froze on the stairs as she realized she was ogling the other girl. 'Shit, I definitely haven't gotten anything for too long if I'm actually checking out Buffy. That's it, I need to get laid.'

As she thought that, Buffy reached the bottom of the stair and turned around to look up at Faith. The Slayer had a flash of panic as she thought for a moment that Buffy had somehow read her thoughts, but she got herself back under control a moment later when she realized how impossible that was. And the fact that Buffy's words showed no sign the blond had caught Faith helped too.

"Come on, if we leave the driver waiting too long he might drive off."

"I doubt that," Faith scoffed as she got back in motion. "He'd ring the doorbell first, you know, to check."

"But your friends are waiting too," Buffy's mom reminded them. Surprised, they both turned towards her only to be blinded by the flash of a camera.

"Mom, a little warning would be nice," Buffy said as Faith tried to blink the spots out of her eyes.

"And let you escape before I could take a picture? Now what kind of mother would that make me?"

"The kind that doesn't blind their daughter and guest?"

"You'll thank me later," was Joyce's answer. Her voice softened. "You two look beautiful. Now, have a good time but not too good."

Giving the older woman a big smile, now that she could see her again, Faith assured Mrs. Summers, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on B."

"Hey! More like I'll keep an eye on you," Buffy fired back.

"Then I have nothing to worry about," was all Joyce said. And she suspiciously didn't look at either of them as she said that.

Buffy must have noticed that too because she was giving her mother a searching look. She, in return, was softly smiling at them. Getting a bit more uncomfortable now, Faith's shoulders twitched in a halfhearted shrug as she looked away.

Not getting anything more out of her mom, Buffy spoke up. "We really need to get going now. Bye, Mom. Don't wait up." Taking hold of Faith's arm, she quickly lead them out of the house and towards the limo only letting go when they were already halfway to the car. The door was already being held open by the driver who simply nodded in acknowledgment when Buffy thanked him.

He firmly closed the door behind Faith who paid little attention to him. She was too busy looking around. This was her first and probably last time she found herself in a limousine after all. "Oooh, complimentary corsages!" Buffy cooed. "Which one do you want?"

"Huh?" Faith looked over at Buffy who was holding one of them up in each hand.

"I'm thinking the orchid, it goes better with the dress," she enthused.

Giving the corsages a look of distaste, Faith started to turn Buffy down. "I don't really..."

"But it's free!" Buffy wheedled. "And it's tradition, a part of the Homecoming experience. Go on, try it." Now the blond was smiling as her voice took on a hint of ironic mirth. "Can't know if you like it 'till you try."

When Faith didn't say anything right away, Buffy wiggled the corsage in her right hand a little.

"Fine," Faith finally sighed. "I'll wear the damn thing. But the punch had better be spiked, or I'll just have to do it for them." She grinned. "That's my tradition."

It had been a joke, but Buffy's next words surprised her. "Just don't get caught," she said shrugging then smiled as she started to bounce in her seat. "This is going to be fun!"

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	10. Chapter 10

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**Slayerfest 98**

**Miller's Wood**

"Hello, ladies. Welcome to Slayerfest '98," the man on the recording enthused. He looked familiar to Buffy, but she couldn't quite place him. 'Hey, wait a minute. Where's this thing getting its power from? Don't tell me these trees got electrical sockets!'

Next to her, Faith had no problem identifying the person. "Trick," she hissed and the venom in her voice finally made the memory click. 'Right, he was with Kakistos. I knocked him over the side. And I don't remember seeing him afterwards, he must have sneaked off the moment things got serious.'

The recording, unfazed by their confusion and hate respectively, went on. "What is Slayerfest, you ask? Well, as in most of life, there are the hunters and the hunted. Can you guess where you two fall?"

_"The vampire obviously has no idea who he is dealing with,"_ Mjöllnir commented.

"From the beginning of this tape, you have exactly thirty seconds," Trick paused to look at his watch, "no, that's seventeen now, to run for your lives. Faith, Buffy," Trick's smile changed into a full-blown grin, "have a nice death." The screen faded to black and the word "SlayerFest" appeared with the first part in red while the latter letters were white.

"He actually made a freaking logo for this?" Buffy shook her head.

"Goddamn coward," Faith spit. Her words were punctuated by the boom of a gunshot causing them both to jump as a bullet punched through the TV.

"Cowards with guns," Buffy concluded. Meeting Faith's eyes she didn't have to say what they should do. They ran into the woods even as another bullet splintered the bark of a tree.

**The Bronze**

"I hope the mix-up won't delay Buffy and Faith too long," Willow worried as the limo rode away.

Xander shrugged as he led Cordelia into the Bronze followed by Willow and Oz. "Don't worry, they'll be here in half-an-hour tops, you heard the driver. Odd though that they thought Buffy had canceled their pick-up."

"It's the first time I heard about them making a mistake," Cordelia agreed. "But they won't miss anything, my coronation is still an hour away."

"Isn't this a secret ballot?" Oz remarked.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Please, Willow's database clearly shows Holly has been snatching votes away from Michelle leaving my voting block intact." She sniffed. "While they've been fighting like two dogs over the same bone, I've been working to actually get the biggest. That tiara is mine," she said with finality.

**Miller's Wood**

"This is the last time I wear anything with a heel," Faith cursed as they jogged through the woods at a steady pace.

Buffy took her eyes of the trail for a moment to look at Faith. "Boots just don't go with that dress, Faith. And if you throw them right you can take an eye out," she added cheerily.

Faith opened her mouth to retort, then made a sudden stop barring Buffy's path with an arm at the same time. "Look out!"

Buffy put her foot down as she looked down to see what had startled the brunette when she felt her shoe land on something hard and flat. She was already retracting the leg when the sound of a metal spring releasing reached her ears followed swiftly by the snap of the trap's metal jaws.

"Thanks, that would have hurt," Buffy commented as she looked back up at Faith. And that motion brought some movement in her peripheral vision to her attention. Looking behind her she finally got her first glimpse of the person shooting at them. 'He's human,' Buffy noted surprised even as the man lined up his shot.

'There's not enough cover here,' she fretted when it hit her. The reason she hadn't taken the fight to them earlier was because she couldn't find whoever was shooting at them. Jungle Bob there had just solved that problem for her. "Down," Buffy cried out pushing Faith out of the way even as she hopped in the opposite direction.

The move had the desired reaction, for a few precious heartbeats Jungle Bob was busy deciding who to shoot and that was enough time to bring Mjöllnir into the game. One moment her hand was empty, the next she was pointing the war hammer at the hunter as the blonde guided her power carefully down the weapon and straight at Jungle Bob.

Not wanting to kill the man, Buffy had only put a trickle of energy in the strike. So instead of a lightning bolt slamming into Jungle Bob, there was only a stretched out spark connecting him and Mjöllnir for the blink of an eye. He yelped as his rifle fell out his nerveless fingers, then he tried to take a step back but tripped.

The now familiar sound of metal jaws closing followed by a noise like a tree-branch snapping came to Buffy and she flinched as Jungle Bob left out a pained grunt.

_"Ha, we got him trapped now!"_ Mjöllnir crowed.

It all happened in a flash so Faith was still getting up when Buffy stalked over to Jungle Bob but the Slayer didn't waste any time hastening to her side. "That's gotta smart," she commented as they observed the man trying to pry the trap's jaws open with his one functioning arm. That trap was firmly closed around his right upper arm guaranteeing he wouldn't be shooting anybody for quite a while. Not with a rifle anyway.

"Good," Buffy retorted as she placed her weapon on the guy's chest and pushed him down flat on the ground interrupting his futile attempts at escape. "Now, I could let you out of that, or I could give you a good up-close image of Mjöllnir. How many are there in this little game, and what are they packing?"

He took one look at her eyes, and Buffy figured they must be quite frightening with her power flowing freely through them, because they slid right off and he didn't try to meet her gaze again as the words started to tumble out of his mouth.

"There's me, two Germans with AR-15's and a grenade launcher," a grimace interrupted him but he started up again before Buffy could prod him on, "yellow-skinned demon with long knives and some French vampire. I think he knows Trick."

Buffy didn't know what AR-15's were, but she figured they were some kind of guns. The grenade launcher part hinted at that too. "That's everybody?"

"Everybody who's out there. Germans are wired. Their boss is tracking them on computer. Now please get me out of this!"

Before Buffy has the chance to respond two serrated, bone knives hit a trunk less than a yard from Faith. Looking in the direction where they came from Buffy saw the yellow-skinned demon Jungle Bob mentioned running towards them. Feeling no need to restrain herself with this one, Buffy was already raising Mjöllnir to give him a full-powered blast.

This time, however, Faith was the one to react the fastest. Kicking up Jungle Bob's rifle she caught it and pumped a new round into the chamber in the same move. Not even bothering to put the rifle to her shoulder Faith took the shot. So close to the gun, the gunshot was quite deafening to Buffy's sensitive hearing and the surprise was enough to stop her in her tracks.

The yellow-skinned demon was stopped too, but for him it was the slug punching itself a way through his chest that did it. He looked down at the tattered hole in his vest for a moment as if he couldn't understand what had happened then collapsed like a puppet who's strings had been cut.

"Lesson of the day: Don't bring a knife to a gun fight!" Faith taunted before looking challengingly at Buffy. "And just 'cause you're freaking Thor don't go thinking I'm some damsel-in-distress."

"I won't," the blonde assured her. "But that doesn't mean I can't watch your back eith-" The Aesir broke off as her ears caught a weird plopping sound. Before she could ask herself what that was, the answer landed between her and Faith. 'Grenade!'

There was no time. No time to think, no time to set Jungle Bob free, no time to warn Faith. There was barely enough time to act as Buffy took a desperate gamble. Grabbing as much power as she could, Buffy leaped over the grenade and hugged Faith somewhat awkwardly as she had to keep a hold of Mjöllnir at the same time.

Slamming as much energy as her power of flight could handle and then some, Buffy willed herself to shoot up into the sky taking Faith with her. Leaves and twigs slapped against her skin and the blonde saw the rifle getting snagged out of Faith's hand from the corner of her eye but she pressed on. Then they reached the clear sky but Buffy wasn't taking any chances.

They were already a hundred yards above the trees when an explosion tore through the vegetation beneath them.

**Trick's house**

"And that is why Daniel Boone and that idiot demon are creatures of the past," Abercrombie explained to Trick as one of the blips on the computer screen vanished. "And why I am the future." His satisfied look dissolved in a frown though and he began to type rapidly on his keyboard.

"Something wrong?" Trick asked casually.

"Hmmm? Oh no," the old human assured him. "The remaining target is moving west now, back towards town, but for some reason the positional locator is malfunctioning along the z-axis. According to this, she's actually flying, which is impossible."

"But then how can you be certain you got one of them? If one locator got damaged, then couldn't that be the case for the other one?"

"Perhaps," Abercrombie admitted as his fingers went still. "That's why I'm having my men inspect the area before resuming the hunt for the remaining Slayer. I should be receiving their report any moment now."

Trick's response was preempted by a knock on the door. The sound immediately sets off alarm bells, but not answering it while it's pretty clear someone is home would be even more suspicious. And when it came right down to it, Trick was confident he could talk himself out of any problem. 'At least long enough to wrap this whole thing up.'

"I'll take care of it," he said out loud to a distracted Abercrombie. Opening the door, Trick let off some mental curses at the sight of the uniformed police officers; but on the outside he was all smiles. 'Nothing to see here, officers. Everything's peachy and keen. Yessir! Walk right along.'

"Evening, gentlemen. How may I help you?" There were several responses he'd been expecting; apologetic explanations, naked suspicion, or plain surprise. What he got instead was stony silence as they simply grabbed him and cuffed him as they lead him away.

"Excuse me! Anybody got a warrant here?" he yelled only to get the same silent treatment. 'Oh, this is not good.'

**Sunnydale, the sky above the town**

Faith's enjoyment of her first time flying was unfortunately spoiled by the position she was in. "Do you have to hold me like this?" she asked as she looked down their bodies. Which wasn't actually down because she was lying on top of Buffy who was flying with her back pointed at the ground. "We look ridiculous!" And being pressed up all tightly against the blonde was doing some very uncomfortable things to her libido.

"Yes, we kind of do," was Buffy's irritated answer. "I'm still new to this whole flying deal and I've never taken anybody with me."

"Are you telling me I'm your first?"

"Must you make everything about sex?" Buffy asked back as her face reddened.

Faith had to fight hard not to blush herself. "Hey, that's not how I meant it Twinkie. So who's thinking about sex here, huh?" Unfortunately, now that Buffy had brought it up Faith became intensely aware of their position again.

She tried to move and create at least some distance between them but Buffy responded by tightening her hold. "And stop wriggling around before you fall off," she snapped.

The Slayer went stock-still. She almost commented how Superman never had this problem, but the brunette did not want to compare herself to Lois Lane so she said something else instead. "We could walk the rest of the way if you want to. You bought us a head-start."

"Hmmm," Buffy responded distracted who wasn't looking at her anymore. Instead, she was looking intently at the corsage on her wrist and didn't seem to have really heard Faith; something that was confirmed with her next words. "You know, with this all being a big trap I'm suddenly thinking we should look a gift corsage in the mouth."

"What?"

Buffy looked away from her wrist and met Faith's confused look. "Our corsages. Remember Jungle Bob saying those Germans were hooked up to a computer?"

"And you're thinking they've been using that to tell where we are. That they didn't aim that grenade by just guessing where we were," Faith finished for her now looking at her orchid intensely. It only took a few seconds to spot something. "I think I see something metal, could be some tracking device. Shit, that means they're still following us."

That was bad. Vampires she could handle, but the Slayer-package didn't come with any nifty powers that neutralized the effectiveness of guns. On the other hand, there was an easy solution. "Better get rid of them now before we reach the library." They'd thought about going to the Bronze to get Buffy's friends but if the hunters caught up with them there, things could get messy for all those innocent bystanders. So they were going to get a weapon for Faith at the library and handle this on their own.

"No, wait," Buffy ordered before Faith could even begin removing the betraying decoration.

One look at the blonde Aesir's intense expression told her why she did that. "You got a plan," Faith concluded.

Buffy nodded. "I was thinking about this nest we were going to clear up tomorrow over at Nylund Cemetery."

It took a moment for Faith to follow the blonde's meaning. "Whoa, that's harsh B. Didn't know you had it in you."

"I figure they got guns, that should be enough to at least keep the vampires from actually getting them while they waste all their bullets just staying alive."

"What if they don't get away." Faith hated to point it out, but felt that the former Slayer would never forgive herself if they hadn't considered that.

"If they can't deal with vampires, they shouldn't be out hunting Vampire Slayers," Buffy said with steel in her voice.

'Damn, I've really underestimated Buffy. I never figured her for the ruthless type.' And she should have. Hadn't she thought the blonde was dangerous on their first encounter? And now she'd forgotten that just 'cause Buffy looked so girly at the moment. Well, before she proposed to pit their enemies against each other. "Sounds like a plan. Let's drop these babies off."

**Nylund Cemetery**

Nail eyed the flower in his hand carefully, still unsure if it was real. Wreck was facing a similar problem apparently. "Dude, did the Slayers just come in here and throw corsages at us?"

"I think they did," Nail answered.

"Maybe they're explosive corsages," Crow piped in. "Like James Bond's pen."

Nail eyed the third member of their quartet carefully. Even by their own standards, Crow wasn't exactly smart. Or lucid. "Wouldn't they have exploded by now if they were?" He looked back at the fake flower. "Maybe it's a warning or something."

"I dunno," Wreck muttered. "Don't seem their style, right?"

Nail shrugged. Like most Sunnydale regulars he knew what the Slayers looked like, but not much more. He was just about to remind Wreck of that when the door to their crypt got busted open again. Looking over at the doorway Nail was just about to remind Shiv to go easy on the place when two guys in black commando gear stormed in with guns blazing.

Wreck and Nail reacted the fastest, diving to the sides even as the bullets started punching holes in their bodies. Crow didn't and caught the full fury of the lead rain. He howled as the first projectiles ripped into him, but was reduced to a collapsing, gurgling wreck a second later as the humans turned his head into Swiss cheese. It wouldn't kill Crow, but it was going to be days before he was capable of forming a thought again. A coherent one would take even longer.

With a growl, Nail rushed at their attackers with Wreck following his lead. Smoothly, the two humans both concentrated their fire on one attacker each. More pain blossomed in Nail's chest but not enough to stop him. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Wreck stumble and fall as his legs got shot up, but it didn't matter because Nail had finally reached the humans.

Batting the firearm away, Nail jerked the human's head to the side and plunged his fangs into the man's neck. The other human was already raising his gun at Nail but he faltered when the vampire positioned the man he was feeding on between him and the armed human. "Hans!" he cried out as he finally showed some emotion.

With anguish still twisting his features the human tried to flank Nail to get a clear shot at him. He was just passing the short stairs leading to the outside when Shiv finally returned from wherever the hell he'd been. "Hey, guys. I heard all the rack-" Shiv broke off when he finally spotted the armed human who'd turned to face him at hearing his voice.

That left his back wide-open for a moment and Nail had every attention of taking that opportunity. Letting the corpse in his arms drop to the ground he jumped the distracted human. But there was apparently nothing wrong with his reflexes because even as he kept Shiv under shot with his gun in one hand the other one quickly pulled out a knife which he rammed back straight into Nail's left eye.

Though that stopped Nail dead in his tracks, it was also the signal for Shiv to leap into action. The human managed to get several shots off but that wasn't enough to stop Shiv from landing on him and dragging him to the floor. As Nail collapsed to the floor, he could just see Shiv tear out the man's throat before the world dissolved completely into pain.

**Sunnydale High**

"You think those Germans already reached the nest," the one Jean pegged as Faith asked. Debry couldn't help but smile at hearing the validation to his strategy. They had gotten rid of his competition, exactly as he had hoped, and they'd gone to their safe place as he knew they would.

'That's the difference between the others and me. They try to fit a strategy to the tools they got, if they even get that far. But me, I went the smart way. Come up with the strategy that fits the situation, then get the tools you need for it,' he gloated. It would be nice if he could actually tell anybody else about his brilliance, but that would just warn his future victims. He would just have to settle for a big, fat paycheck.

The click-click of heels on the floor came closer than the rhythm stalled, signaling they'd reached the library's doors. The moment he'd been waiting for. As he stepped away from his hiding place behind the lockers, Jean drew his piece and took aim at the Slayers' unsuspecting backs. 'Nighty-night.'

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	11. Chapter 11

_I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology._

_I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work._

**Two to Tango**

**Sunnydale High**

"You think those Germans already reached the nest," Faith asked Buffy as they neared the library's doors. The blonde shrugged before reaching out to push one of the doors open, when there was a brief sound of escaping air. Buffy reacted even before the sound registered with Faith, twisting herself around and bringing up Mjöllnir in the same motion.

Faith herself was still busy turning her head in the direction Buffy was facing when a plinking noise rang through the hallway followed by the sound of something small hitting the floor. Looking down for a moment, the Slayer saw a small tranquilizer dart at Buffy's feet. Then her eyes traced the projectile's likely path back where they found a man dressed in jeans and a brown jacket holding a gun in a two-handed grip. 'Vampire,' she amended as she put two and two together.

Said vampire barely blinked at the failure of his sneak-attack, nor did he start to speechify. Keeping his tranquilizer-gun steady he began to advance on them, firing rapidly now. More pings reached Faith's ears as Buffy weaved her weapon around to knock the darts out of the air before they could reach her. When the vampire came to a halt, the brunette thought for a moment it was because he was out of ammo.

"Crap," Buffy cursed. Started by the uncharacteristic word-usage Faith looked over and was dismayed to find three darts sticking out of Buffy's shoulder, abdomen and thigh respectively. "My dressss..." The blonde trailed off as she swayed on her feet. "Not good," she managed to say before collapsing to the floor.

Wide-eyed, Faith looked back at the vampire. It all had happened too fast, only now did Faith realize she was on her own. Worse, she didn't have a weapon on her and under no illusion she could fight off whatever was in those darts any better than Buffy.

"Just one dose is enough to knock-out an elephant for hours," the vampire commented as he relaxed his stance and held his gun at his side. "Three should have killed her," he went on frowning at Buffy. "Then again, I've never heard of a Slayer conjuring a weapon out of thin air." His gaze traveled back to Faith. "But you can't," he concluded. His gun went up in the same breath and he fired, causing Faith to belatedly try to jump out of the way.

She shouldn't have bothered because there was only a click. Looking annoyed now, the vampire didn't even bother to try again and simply holstered his gun. "Don't think that gets you out of this situation Miss. I don't actually need both of you alive. Or either of you, really," he mused as he pulled out a big-ass knife, looking very wicked with all its curves, from behind his back.

"I was planning on doing the actual cutting up elsewhere, but there's no harm in getting an early start," he joked as he began to advance slowly towards Faith.

Faith almost backed off, but the sight of Buffy lying unconscious and defenseless arrested that impulse. She couldn't abandon her, not while there was a good chance this guy would take a few seconds out to take care of the blonde more permanently before giving chase. She also dismissed the idea of trying to use Mjöllnir herself, if it was anything like the comics she wouldn't be able to lift it and she didn't have the time to try that out now.

There really was only one thing she could do. Stepping in front of the blonde Aesir, Faith assumed a fighting stance doing her best to look confident. "Big talk, big knife, big gun," she summed up. "Sounds like someone's trying to compensate for something."

The barb didn't seem the faze him, though, because he just gave her an amused smile as he took the final step to get her into his reach. Faith had kept an eye on the blade, she'd remembered how his expression hadn't changed even as he tried to shoot her and was guessing she wouldn't get a warning this time either. She was right; the blade flicked out suddenly, almost slicing open her stomach if she hadn't twisted out of the way.

Her right hand shot out to try and catch the vampire's knife-hand, but had to pull it back right away as the demon slashed at the hand even as he drew the knife back. Faith couldn't stop a grimace as she felt the fiery line across her palm, but she didn't let the pain stop her from balling that hand into a fist.

The vampire now kept his knife moving, never letting it fall still as he looked for an opening. Instinct screamed at Faith to go on the attack, to do something other than just waiting. But if she did that, she would just be asking to get some fingers sliced off. With nothing to block that knife, Faith's options were extremely limited.

The vamp didn't have that problem. Striking like a snake his arm flashed forward sweeping across the space Faith's chest had occupied a moment before. She just managed to lean back out of reach but still felt the air stirred by the weapon whisper across the skin of her bare arm. Taking a step forward the vampire tried again, but Faith twisted to the left and out of the path of the blade.

It also nicely set the demon up for a left cross to his face. Actually hitting him was immensely satisfying, but his reaction wasn't. Barely a grunt escaped his lips as his face was averted by the punch. He still wasn't looking at her when he reversed his grip and tried to stick his knife into her gut with an underhanded thrust. A palm-strike to his forearm stalled the move just long enough for Faith to move back and out of range but in her panic she forgot to pay attention to where she was going and her foot hit the sleeping form of Buffy.

Normally it wouldn't have been a problem, she'd have kept her footing without a single miss-step. If she'd been wearing her customary boots that is. Unaccustomed to even wearing heels let alone fighting in them, Faith found herself falling before she knew it and was only able to prevent herself from landing flat on her back by stretching our her arms to catch her fall a bit.

One arm landed flat on the empty floor, the other didn't. The vampire was already advancing on her and Faith's face still wore the surprised look at having fallen. That quickly turned to anger as she looked down at her shoes. "Fucking heels. This is the last time I wear those damn things!" she swore as her right hand slipped one shoe off and hurled it at the demon now looming above her.

She'd aimed at his face and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as the bloodsucker managed to shield his face with the hand not holding a knife. And blocking his own view of her at the same time. "Really..." the vampire begun in an amused voice before stopping abruptly. His expression went from amusement to shock as he looked down at his own leg and Faith's hand that had just finished sticking a tranquilizer dart into him.

"Made ya look!" the brunette crowed with an exuberant grin.

"Merde," he managed before his leg collapsed under him. Next came the knife, clattering to the floor followed a second later by the thump of the vampire's body.

Picking up the knife as she got up, Faith looked it over happily before gazing down at her downed opponent. "I think I'll keep it, if ya don't mind. Yeah, didn't think so," she said as she bent down and placed the knife on the vampire's neck. "Now, let's see how sharp this baby really is."

/\/\/\/\

"I don't feel so good," Buffy murmured with her eyes still closed. Nausea rolled around in her stomach threatening to surge up with every breath. 'No, not up. I'm laying on something hard... Wood? Yeah, it's wood. What happened? Last thing I remember is going to the library to get a weapon for Faith, then there was this vampire shooting at us... Faith!'

Buffy's eyes flew open just as Faith's relieved voice reached her ears. "B, you're awake!"

Sitting up made things worse and the blonde couldn't respond right away as she fought back the urge to vomit and the world to stop dancing so much. "Kind of wishing I wasn't," she croaked after she noticed they were in the library. 'Faith must have taken care of Mister Trigger-Happy.'

"I'm surprised you're awake at all! That guy said just one dose would put an elephant out for hours, you took three!"

Blinking, Buffy slowly swiveled her head towards Faith so she could give the brunette a suspicious look. Or squint at least. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

Faith smiled, but her eyes still looked worried. "Nah, I'm sure ya just got thick bones to go along with that thick skull of yours."

"I'll have you know I have a very fine bone-structure. It's just that they're sturdier than steel now."

"Whatever you say, B!" Then the Slayer's expression turned concerned again. "But are you sure you're fine? I thought poison didn't work on you guys."

"Actually, Mjöllnir used the word resistant. Guess this was too much for me."

_"That's exactly what happened. If you were human, you'd be dead. As it was, there was just too much tranquilizer for your body to break down before it could kick in. You need to take some care in the future, you're not invulnerable,"_ the war hammer cautioned.

'I wasn't exactly just standing there and letting him shoot me,' Buffy thought back irritably. Something of that must have shown because Faith's expression remained worried.

"You sure you're going to be alright?"

Nodding Buffy started to scoot off of the table. "I'm sure. What exactly happened with the Trigger-Happy vampire? He ran out of ammunition?"

That got a chuckle out of the brunette. "Yep, he did. That's when he pulled out this," Faith held up a knife and Buffy's eyebrows rose as she got a good look at it. It looked very unfriendly. "Didn't do him much good though, 'cause this is what I used to take him out. That, and this dart you knocked out of the air," she admitted then looked at the knife in her hand. "I'm thinking of keeping this. Maybe even give it a name."

"Oh yes, because giving your weapon a name isn't a sign of crazy at all." Buffy made sure to show Faith her smile to let her know she was just joking around.

"Hey, you named your hammer," Faith shot back.

"No, I didn't. He told me his name."

"Funny, I don't hear him correcting me."

"That's because I'm the only one that can hear hi-" Buffy broke off as she realized what she had walked into.

Faith shot the blonde a triumphant grin. "Yeah, because having a weapon talk to you in your head ain't a sign of crazy at all!"

Laughing, Buffy bowed her head in mock-surrender before getting serious again. "How long was I out anyway?"

"Hmm, fifteen minutes maybe?"

"Okay, then let's go to the Bronze. The guys must be getting worried by now and since that vampire should be the last one, it's safe now." Her expression turned unhappy. "But they managed to ruin this night. I can't have the rest of the school seeing me looking like this." She waved her hand over her ruined dress and messed-up hair.

"You sure?"

Buffy made to say yes when her eyes caught the sight of something on Faith's hand. Grabbing it, she pulled it closer so she could get a good look. "He cut you! Faith, why didn't say you were hurt?"

Looking uncomfortable, the brunette Slayer shrugged. "Dunno, it's not a big deal. Look, it's already stopped bleeding and it should be fine by morning."

The Aesir didn't think it was nothing though. "It's not tomorrow right now. That does it, we are going home after we've seen the guys so we can clean this wound."

Faith looked uncertain, then nodded. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But we could go out tomorrow. Find some studs at the Bronze and celebrate we got through this." She shrugged, a move that was made a bit awkward with the hold Buffy still had on one of her hands. "If ya don't got any other plans."

Buffy nodded in agreement after giving it some thought. "After we've paid Willy a visit," she amended finally letting go of Faith's hand.

"Willy?"

"Right, I haven't taken you there yet, have I? Willy runs a demon bar and he hears things. I'm thinking he might know where Trick is hanging out so we can go and thank him for organizing tonight's activities," Buffy finished with a bloodthirsty grin that was mirrored by Faith.

**Alibi Room**

'Oh no, not her again,' Willy lamented as the blonde Slayer entered his establishment accompanied a girl with brown hair in leather pants he'd never seen before. But he had a sneaking suspicion about who she was, or more precisely, what she was. 'Why can't she come around when it's not Happy Hour?'

He knew better than to actually say any of that, though. Or to repeat the mistake he'd made a while back that had cost him half his regulars. "What can I do for you kids?"

"Plenty," Buffy answered with a loud voice everybody in the bar could hear. It did nothing to sooth Willy's nerves. "But I'm also here to show my newest, bestest friend the sights." She laid a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Everybody, say hello to Faith the Vampire Slayer."

"Christ, Slayer, are you trying to start a brawl? Do you know how much the last one cost me? Half the customers you killed still had a tab!" Relieved, Willy noted that at least half of the demons that had stirred at the blonde's announcement sat back down and tried to look harmless after hearing his protest. Good, that was the main reason he'd opened his mouth in the first place.

The blonde Slayer just shrugged. "I was kind of hoping we could hold an object-lesson, and having volunteers for that would be better." Willy couldn't decide if Buffy was serious or actually playing along with him.

"But I'm okay with volunteering a few of the vamps here," the other girl, Faith, threw in. "Unless you know where to find some vampire we just happen to be lookin' for."

And there was the rub, because Willy had no idea what vampire they were looking for. He hadn't heard anyone wanting to try something big right now so he would have to fish a bit. "I hear a few things now and then. But I don't betray customers," he quickly added loudly. "This vampire got a name?" he went on in a lower voice.

"Trick," the brunette Slayer spat.

Willy mulled over that name, but it didn't spark any memories. "Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

Buffy's smile was far too bright. "That's okay, but we'll ask some of your customers just to be sure."

"Finally," the other Slayer exclaimed as she started to crack her knuckles. "Now we get to the fun part."

The bartender couldn't see the fun in what was about to happen, since it would be his wallet that would get really hurt. 'At least they all paid for their drinks in advance this time,' he consoled himself as Faith slammed one of his undead customers against a table causing it to topple over. It didn't stop him from flinching at the sound of glass and wood shattering.

**The Bronze**

'Buffy sure doesn't dance like a good girl,' Faith mused as she studied the blonde through slitted eyes. They were celebrating now, even though their visit to Willy's had been a bust and with it they'd lost their last lead. They'd already learned of the death of the Germans that morning when they'd gone to the nest so for now Trick had gotten away.

Faith, at least, hadn't wanted to let that ruin her night and it seemed Buffy agreed. But where Faith was dancing with three guys at the same time, Buffy was dancing alone. Okay, maybe she was dancing with Faith a little, but the blonde was steering any men that tried to sidle up Faith's way. Which was fine with the Slayer, more choice for her.

'And speaking of choice, it's time to get Buffy out of my hair for a little while so I can scratch that itch I've been having.' She didn't really need to, but Faith felt oddly reticent to let Buffy know what she was going to do. The brunette didn't really know why, but there it was. Which left her with the question of how to slip out without Buffy noticing.

Fortune intervened then, with the appearance of Buffy's friends. "Hey, B, your friends are here."

"Huh?" Buffy's expression went from puzzled to happy as she turned to wave at them.

"Why don't you go over and ask how their night went," Faith urged. She couldn't mention patrolling with all these witnesses. And to help things along, Faith let her hands slide over a couple of her dance partners as she ground her back into a third. "I'll keep them warm for ya!" she finished with a suggestive smile.

That little show worked, getting Buffy all flustered and backing off to create some distance between them. "Uh, that's fine. I'm, uh, they're yours, I mean, I don't... You know what, I think I could use a soda. And say hey to the guys," she announced in an overly perky voice and equally fake smile.

Turning around, the blonde hastened to leave the dance floor. Faith tracked her progress until she was sure she was out of the blonde's sight. Giving the three guys dancing with her a quick inspection she picked out the one that would most likely go along with what she wanted to do.

Pulling him closer by the shirt she looked over at the other two. "Sorry guys, but I'm in the mood for a more private dance right now." Paying no attention to their disappointment, Faith wiggled her eyebrows at her choice who got the message loud and clear. After a last look to make sure the coast was clear, Faith started to lead him off the dance floor in the opposite direction Buffy had gone. 'There should be a backdoor around here, and the alley is good enough for this guy.'

_TO BE CONTINUED_

_Author's Note: This is it for 2013. I will do my best not to make you wait so long for the next part this time, but I'm still busy on the sequel to 'The Living Sword' and that has to come first._

_Have a wonderful 2014!_


End file.
